Grade Nine-Nine
by PaintaPicture
Summary: AU where Jake is the new kid at high school. Mostly centered around Jake & Amy. Mostly happy. There will be some angst but nothing toxic because Peraltiago are too wholesome for that. Mix of TV story line and my own. Rated M for some occasional swearing and eventual adult themes, sorry. Taking a small break. Promise this isn't abandoned; I'm just tired.
1. New Meat

**New Meat**

A person who arouse one's interest, either as a new target for deception, humiliation or ridicule.

Jake Peralta was not looking forward to starting at a new school. He missed pulling pranks with his old friends, Matt, Harry and Rob, but more importantly, he missed Jenny Gildenhorn. He'd never had a chance to win her back, not since he'd been _Funged_ at his Bar Mitzvah. Mind you, that'd been three years ago. But who was counting?

"What is your name?" barked a voice, as Jake stood daydreaming in the carpark, leaning against his Mustang. Gina, his cousin, was supposed to have met with him, and he was getting tired of gave the man a look over. He was impeccably groomed, and on his lapel read _Captain Ray Holt_.  
Jake figured that this Captain - how does one have that title in a school, anyway? - must be a very serious person, a rule following promptly replied, "Jacob Peralta".  
"Well, Jacob Peralta, the next time I see you, I'd like you to be wearing a tie. It is part of the uniform."J  
ake rolled his eyes as he walked away. His old Principal McGinley wouldn't have given two shits.

Jake stormed into his first class. There was nothing like mathematics to sour his mood further.  
"You're late, new kid," Ms Wuntch greeted.  
"No shit, Sherlock," Jake muttered under his breath. _Couldn't he catch a break? Now the whole class was looking at him._ He slumped into the closest chair he could find, wishing he could disappear.  
"Today, we start on integrals-"  
Jake zoned out.

"Hi, I'm Boyle. You must be Jake. Gina's mentioned you, like, at least 2 times. Do you have Drama next? We could go there together."  
Jake glanced over at his bubbly seat mate, who seemed to pack a lot of energy for such a short body.  
"Sure," Jake replied. What did he have to lose? Plus, it was one of his favourite subjects. If possible, Boyle's excitement seemed to increase tenfold.

"For the last time, the best cop movies, in order: _Training Day_ , _Lethal Weapon_ , and _Fargo_. End of discussion."  
Before he could stop himself, Jake rose to the challenge.  
"Wrong. _Die Hard_ is the best cop movie of all time. One cop heroically saving the day while everyone else stands around and watches."  
"Who's this new meat you've brought, Boyle?" a gruff voice asked.  
"Well, Rosa, nice to introduce yourself. This is Jake, I caught him arguing with Ms. Wuntch in mathematics." Rosa gave Jake a hi-five at that.  
"Be cool, because he's gonna be my best friend."  
"Boyle gets attached easily," explained the girl he challenged before. "I'm Amy. But seriously, you do not want to get on Wuntch's bad side."  
Jake wasn't surprised by her advice. Uniform perfectly up to standard, not a single hair out of place, and he'd bet that she'd done all the recommended readings _twice_. Classic goody-two shoes, a general pain to deal with. Still, he couldn't help but mutter a "Thanks", before being interrupted by the teacher.  
"This semester we'll be studying _Hamlet_ ", Mr. Jeffords announced. Amy pulled out a clean version, sticky notes poking from the edges. The corner of Jake's mouth quirked into a smile as he caught a glimpse at the elegantly written _Santiago_ on the cover. By the end of the class, Jake noticed that Amy had answered no less than 80% of the questions, 100% correctly. Rosa, Boyle and Jake had spent most of the class mocking scenes from the play.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Hope you're enjoying the story. I'm a recent graduate but after having watched B99 twice in two weeks, I figured I should focus my obsession into something else. I'm not a frequent story writer (I major in science) so any advice is appreciated. I'm trying to focus more on sticking to the characters as they are in the show. Sorry the chapters are shorter than most multi-chapter fanfics. This might lengthen as I improve, but I do have a habit of writing concisely. Also, although this is written in third person, I currently plan to alternate between Amy and Jake's perspectives every chapter. I also must apologise for some inconsistencies I'm sure I'm making, since I'm an Australian but the show is US-based.


	2. Chemical Ignition

**Chemical Ignition:**

The action of setting something on fire.

Amy was not a fan of Jake, she decided, as she sat down with her friends. He seemed like trouble, picking arguments with Wuntch, and had he been sleeping during _maths_ , her favourite class? She was also pretty sure she'd seen him being told off by Captain Holt and Amy could not afford to be associated with someone like that. Not when she was hoping to get a recommendation from him at the end of the year. She already had Valedictorian in the bag, but this recommendation would fast-track her progress into her future career path as a Captain herself. Her older brothers Liam and Noah were already in med school, and she had to remain a role model for her younger five brothers. She pulled out a pen and notepad to begin drafting her Music Captaincy speech when a peanut landed in her hair.  
"Seriously, Santiago? It's morning tea. Take a break," Jake said. Amy's not sure how he even figured out her last name.  
"You should take a break from being such a child," she retorted, before chucking the peanut back at him. To her dismay he caught it in his mouth, which earned a hi-five from Rosa and Boyle.  
"You're just mad you don't have these skillz."  
Before long, the bell had rung and there were dozens of peanuts scattered on the floor.  
"You gotta stop trying to catch it in your nose" Jake quipped, before they packed up for their classes. Amy's notepad remained empty.

"You take Chemistry?" Amy asked Jake, before mentally kicking herself for sounding so surprised. "Sorry, that came out wrong."  
Rosa bursted into laughter. "Smooth."  
Luckily, Jake didn't seem phased. "An opportunity to blow stuff up? Wouldn't miss it for the world."  
Amy rolled her eyes.  
"Oooh, you'll love this class then," Boyle gushed. "Mr. Stentley - though everyone calls him CJ, just lets us choose our own projects. It's so much fun. Last year Rosa was paired with Pimento and they just dropped francium in water. They're not sure if Pimento's thumb will ever grow back." Rosa looked chuffed with herself.  
"Awesome!"  
"Alright class, you're free to choose your projects as usual, but after Pimento's incident last semester, the school board has instructed me to choose your pairs to minimise risk." CJ announced. "Ashley & Brian,..., Rosa & Boyle..."  
"Aww, I was really hoping to be with you, Jake!" Boyle sighed, which earned a punch from Rosa. "But we'll still have fun, I'm sure," he quickly added, as Rosa dragged him by the ear over to their bench.  
"Hitchcock and Scully" was the next pair. Amy let out a snort. Those two were the most incompetent bunch. They were actually repeating the grade for the third time, the teachers had running bets on when they would finally graduate. Her stifled laughter was completely stopped by CJ's next words, "Jake and Amy".  
 _Great_ , Amy had thought. _I'm stuck with this childish clown.  
_ Jake seemed to pick up on her discomfort, grin widening. "Oh Amy," he said in a singsong voice. "Don't be sad. We'll have a great time. I'll be the proton to your neutron. Or is it electron?"

Amy sighed. She had expected at least a half-decent partner to help complete this project, not to babysit some newbie who didn't even know the difference between a neutron and electron. _Oh my God, what if I fail. I've never failed a project before, I'll fail Chemistry, I won't graduate. It won't even matter if Captain Holt doesn't write me a recommendation letter because I've already fucked this up for myself. I've disgraced all Latina women. Mami and Papi will be so disappointed - I've let my family down. My life calendar is all screwed up, I won't meet my future husband and then I'll die alon-  
_ "Amy? _"_ Jake asked cautiously, as his eyes flicked from her notepad to her eyes, which had glazed over a few moments ago.  
Amy followed his gaze to her notepad, which had a huge hole from the ink pen she'd stabbed into the paper. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, you must think I'm a psycho".  
She'd struggled to bring her breathing back to normal.  
"Hey, it's okay," he said reassuringly. "We're gonna ace this project. Just let me know what you need me to do."  
Amy didn't hide her excitement as she pulled out the binder, and she kept an eye on Jake for his reaction, maybe laughter of some sort.  
"You know how oil and water separate?" she asked, to which she received a nod. "Well, it's because oil is hydrophobic - _hudōr_ which is Greek for _water_ , and _φόβος_ meaning _fear_ , that is, because of its non-polarity, oil molecules are more attracted to each other than to water molecules, which are polar." He doesn't seem bored yet, so she pulled out a piece of paper. "See what happens if you put some water on it."  
Jake returned a few moments later with a water dropper and squeezed a drop onto the paper. Nothing happened. He squeezed a few more drops, but the water doesn't soak through. "Okay, what did you do?"  
"I made this over the Christmas break with my brother. It's just a regular piece of paper coated with PNIPAm, which is a _super_ hydrophobic polymer. That's how it's able to repel the water droplets. It does, however change properties depending on temperature, which is what I'd like to explore. It could have some really critical implications in the medical field."  
"That's really cool," Jake admitted with a grin on his face. His smile was infectious, and after Amy noted that he genuinely seemed impressed, she began to smile herself.  
"This is the list of equipment we need, I've done the risk assessment already, we just need to sign it."  
"Man, how long does your signature take?"  
"Shouldn't you be getting some of the chemicals we need?" she snapped. This was the signature that all the Santiagos had, and she was sick of his criticism, let alone bringing her family into it. Nonetheless, the reply had shut Jake up, and he went to retrieve the compounds listed in her binder. He'd come back with the last of the compounds, and Amy had collected all the equipment when there was a large shout.  
"Fire! Fire! Omg what do we do!" Hitchcock shouted.  
"Here buddy, I got you," Scully yelled back, as he ran towards Hitchcock. He grabbed the styrofoam cup, which was on fire, and tossed it between his hands as he raced to the sink. "Hot hot hot hot hot!" Despite being 30 seconds late, CJ had grabbed the fire extinguisher and doused the two in foam.  
"That's gonna leave a mark," CJ stated.  
"Idiots, those two," Amy muttered.  
"Make us seem like Einstein" Jake agreed.  
"Class is practically over, thanks to them" Rosa said as she strolled over.  
"What's your project on?" asked Boyle. "Ours is on slime, but it'd be so much cooler if I was working with yo-" Rosa stopped him with an elbow to his gut.  
"We're looking at the dependence of temperature on the hydrophobicity of PNIPAm. It's actually pretty neat," Jake explained.  
Amy paused in the middle of packing her things, surprised he'd understood so thoroughly. _Chemistry hadn't been too bad,_ she decided.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Hopefully this story's getting a little more interesting now. Please leave a review letting me know either way. FYI, the chemistry experiments are based on real experiments I had to do during my studies. Yes, a friend and I did accidentally light our bomb calorimeter on fire, though we didn't require a fire extinguisher.

Just a note, the next chapter is going to be split into four perspectives - just because it follows each of the main characters' chosen electives. It should be out by the end of the day (note: it's currently 2 a.m. so I mean within the next 22 hours). I'm trying to get this story written and posted as quickly as I can as I really loathe reading stories that are never completed and I fear losing motivation if I don't get the story out fast enough, and I'd hate to leave readers on a cliffhanger.


	3. Interlude

**Interlude:**

A temporary amusement or diversion that contrasts with what goes before or after.

 **Amy  
**

"How's your day been, James?" Amy asked as she spotted her little brother with violin. He was a year younger than her, but the school's music program didn't let age restrict the showcasing of talent. In fact, even as a junior, Amy had been given permission to help direct their school's orchestra, though she also played the French horn and piano. Captain Ray Holt felt it essential that his students develop sufficient leadership skills.  
"Not too bad," James grinned, as he took his place in the orchestra.  
"Okay, today we'll be focusing on Johannes Brahms' _Horn Trio in E major._ " Amy announced as she flipped through her _Lessons_ binder.  
50 minutes later, the seniors and Amy were satisfied with their progress and let them out to lunch, with the exception of one sophomore who lingered behind.  
"Ms. Santiago?" he asked.  
"Please, just call me Amy," she corrected immediately.  
"Yes M'am" he blurted, "I mean, I was just wondering if there was any additional exercises I could do."  
Amy nodded as she checked her binder and gave him a list. "Here you go."  
"Thanks Amy," he said as he turned to leave.  
"Wait, I didn't get your name," Amy called out quickly. As the only girl amongst her siblings, she found it imperative that credit was given when it was due.  
"Gary Jennings," came the faint reply.

 **Jake/Gina  
**

"JAKEYYYY!" A loud voice greeted him in the dance hall.  
"Gina, where were you this morning?" Jake grinned as he ran up to hug his cousin, finding it hard to stay mad at her. "I had to be lectured by this Captain Holt, it was so boring."  
"Oh, I was practising with my new dance troupe, _Floorgasm_. We've already filmed several videos on YouTube. If you're lucky, we might even bust some moves this class," she winked, dusting off her leotard where Jake had made contact during the hug.  
"If I could all have your attention," Doug Judy began, "I'd like to begin this semester with the waltz. New kid, if you'd like to help me give a demonstration."  
Jake groaned internally as Gina gave him a little nudge. He really hoped this new kid label wouldn't last much longer. _Thank God I learnt the waltz with Jenny Gildenhorn_ , Jake thought with a pang of nostalgia. _At least I'll be able to put on a show._  
What a show Jake put on, even if it was with a senior student. The whole class was in applause when they finished, and eager to get started.  
"Wanna be partners?" a blonde girl asked, hand on hip, clearly someone no one has ever said no to.  
"Yes, if I can have your name," Jake smirked.  
"Marie. You want my number too?" she challenged back.  
And that was how Jake ended up with his first number on the first day at his new school. Gina had been practicing some very non-Waltz dance moves with her headphones on during the entire class.

 **Boyle  
**

Boyle loved cooking. It was the one of the times he could truly express himself freely, plus, the class was unsupervised. Today's menu? Fruit pavlova. He was in the middle of gathering his ingredients, when a familiar face popped up at his desk, but Boyle couldn't quite figure why it was familiar.  
"What would you say if I could help you cut your chopping speeds into a quarter?"  
"That sounds like something I could use," Boyle said naively. "Have I seen you in this class before?"  
"No, I'm new here. Name's Bill," he said, grabbing out the paperwork. "You just need to sign here, here and here."  
"Great. Um, would you mind giving me a hand with this meringue?"  
"Nope, gotta go to work! But enjoy your NutriBoom! BOOM BOOM!" Bill exclaimed as he zipped out of the classroom.  
"Boom boom," replied Boyle as he got stuck into his work.

 **Rosa  
**

"Alright, class. This semester we'll be working on light - specifically reflection, refraction and diffraction. Collect your tray of materials from the front and then we can get started," Ms Hawkins ordered.  
"Wanna partner up?" a boy with mousy brown hair asked.  
"Nope," Rosa replied instantly. _God, when would her classmates every learn that she_ _always worked alone?_  
"You wanna work tog-"  
"You want to go through life blind?" Rosa snapped, holding a mirror to the light for emphasis. The remaining students finally left her alone as they found other partners. By the end of class, Rosa was quite satisfied with the topic she had chosen, the photoelectric effect.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Sorry to have a bit more of a filler chapter. Kind of just setting everything up. After the next couple of chapters, the story should flow a bit faster, though I've decided that I'm going to start just releasing chapters weekly soon. as I think I'm rushing editing.


	4. The Vulture

**The Vulture:**

A contemptible person who preys on or exploits others.

Jake gave a wave as he passed Marie's table at the cafeteria, noting the other six girls seated around her. _Definitely leader of the popular group,_ he decided as he watched how they hung on her every word. He quickly tucked Marie's number into his shirt pocket as he slid onto the cafeteria bench for lunch. Marie wasn't really his type, but it was still nice to know girls still appreciated him at this new school.  
"Woah, is that Marie's number?" Boyle gasped as he entered.  
"Huh, how did you know?" Jake asked absentmindedly.  
"She's the only one who uses that special pink paper."  
"Hmm, I guess it is her number then," Jake shrugged, as Rosa, Amy and Gina filtered in. Gina was fixated on her phone, as usual.  
"You got Marie's number?" Rosa smirked.  
"Yeah, is it really such a big deal? I mean, she's hot, but..."  
"Why, do you like someone else? Is it Amy, I knew it!" Boyle spilled.  
Jake and Amy passed a look at each other, "Ew!" they both exclaimed.  
"You _should_ go out with her though," Rosa prompted. "Her family is like, super rich and they live a mansion and have a butler. Oh, and they throw a super elite party at the end of every semester. You better get us in," she threatened.  
"Oh, that sounds dope. For sure then I'll get us in-"  
Jake was quickly interrupted by an authoritative voice. "Peralta," Captain Holt boomed. "Where is your tie?"  
"Well I don't just keep four-in-hand," Jake retorted, sharing a smug look with Boyle and Rosa at his pun. Amy cringed, and Gina still hadn't looked up from her phone.  
"You may have gotten in on a scholarship, but being a smart ass is not appreciated," Captain Holt warned. "Keep this up and the only place you'll be going in life is detention."  
"Ugh, that is so unfair. The uniform shop is only open once a week, anyway," Jake scowled once the principal was out of earshot.  
Amy sighed, reaching into her bag. "Here. This is a spare from band. Just please stop drawing attention to me."  
" _Please stop drawing attention to me,"_ Jake mimicked. "Good news everyone, we found the title of Santiago's sex tape."  
Amy rolled her eyes before continuing with her captaincy speech. She'd only drafted a paragraph so far.  
"Wait, Boyle, you signed up for NutriBoom? You do realise it's like the most obvious form of a pyramid scheme?" Jake laughed.  
"Yeah Boyle, you're an idiot," Rosa added.  
"Thanks Rosa. But both of you are going to regret your words when you taste this puree. Here, taste," Boyle instructed as he pulled out the pavlova that was good enough to be in a three Michelin star restaurant.  
"Wow Boyle, this is really good," Jake admitted as the fruit burst in his mouth. Boyle had somehow managed to insert some of the fruit within the meringue, creating a perfectly balanced texture.  
"Well, I'm more than just a pretty face."  
"Of course you are, bud," Jake said, patting Boyle on the back. "Hey Gina, whatcha playing?"  
"It's some game called _Kwazy Cupcakes_ ," Rosa answered, after it became apparent that Gina wasn't paying attention. "I don't see the hype, but my cousins wouldn't stop playing it over Christmas."  
30 minutes later, fixated on their phones, Rosa, Jake and Boyle almost missed the end of lunch bell.

"How'd you get out of P.E.?" Jake asked.  
"Oh, I always just say that I'm menstruating and have severe pains," Gina shrugged. "Dozerman can't do anything 'cos he's a male teacher and that would be _creepy_. Worked since I was 8. Gotta learn to use that bod, Jakey. Anywayz, I gotta go practise some more moves. Toodles!"  
"What is my motto, idiots?" Dozerman snapped.  
"Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency," the students replied.  
"Could probably just say it once," Jake muttered, as he shot a confused look at the others. _What kind of a psycho is this?  
"_Are you making fun of my stutter?"  
"Oh, uh..."  
"Tricked you, newbie. I don't have a stutter. Boom, I've already established my authority through my amazing sense of humour. The rest of you, what are you all doing just standing here? Form your teams."  
The students quickly parted into two. Jake and Boyle were part of one team, while Rosa and Amy were part of the other, along with Hitchcock and Scully.  
"Tough luck," Amy said sympathetically. "The Vulture is the worst teammate _ever_."  
Jake looked at the boy Amy was pointing to, Keith Pembroke, who actually had a pretty athletic build. He turned back to Amy, "He doesn't seem so ba-" he said questioningly, cut mid-sentence as the ball was snatched from his hands. "Hey, we're on the same team!"  
"Now you know why he's called the Vulture."  
"No issue," Jake grinned at Boyle. "We'll still crush 'em. Now let's play some dodgeball."  
Unsurprisingly, Boyle, Hitchcock and Scully, not exactly physically gifted, were knocked out in the first minute.  
One by one, the other players were sent off until it was just Jake, the Vulture, Rosa and Amy left. Boyle, of course, led the cheering. "Jake! Jake! Jake Jake!"  
They were pretty evenly matched and had been at a stalemate for about 30 minutes. Jake narrowly missed a hit from Amy while he fired one back at Rosa.  
 _Finally, I have a perfect shot,_ Jake thought as Rosa was off-balance. _Time to win_ _this this._  
"WHAT THE FUCK, man?" Jake growled as the Vulture stole the ball off him for the umpteenth time that game.  
"This shot is mine," Pembroke sneered. "Time to knock these vixens out."  
"Only because you stole it from me!" Jake cried, as he grabbed the ball back.  
"Move your pasty white ass!" Pembroke warned, as he shoved his teammate.  
Jake groaned as the floor met him. _Wait, why is my right hip in pain? I didn't fall there._  
Amy and Rosa's loud and clear "Hit! We got them! We won!" answered Jake's question as he watched the ball roll away from him.  
Rosa and Amy hi-fived each other as Jake got up. Pembroke was lying on the ground, having slipped over the ball that Rosa had thrown at him.  
"I'll get you bitches next time," Pembroke yelled. "You should have moved your pasty white ass!"  
"He deserved his karma," Rosa said in disgust.  
"Nice work," Jake complimented the two winners. "He really is the worst teammate ever," he added as he passed Pembroke.  
"Told you so," Amy muttered under her breath.  
"Good, you won't be fishing for a best friend any time soon," Boyle said, as the four exited the exercise hall.

"What piece are we studying this semester?" Jake asked, looking at Amy expectantly. "I hope it's not Romeo and Juliet again. I bet you've already got a signed copy with all your annotations."  
Amy sighed. _How on earth had this guy gotten a scholarship in anything other than unpreparedness? Maybe he could go join Marie's crew and leave them alone. Though Boyle had grown extremely attached, even for Boyle. He would be a nightmare to console. Though, to be honest, she_ did _have a full collection of Shakespeare's plays that she had updated biannually with annotations since she were 14. A few of them had been handed down from her brothers._ "Shakespeare's been dead for 400 years. Besides, Professor Kevin Cozner doesn't use specific literature," she said in exasperation. "He's head of the Classics department at Columbia University, so he likes to teach more advanced material. We're doing _Greek literature_ this semester."  
"Oh, so like, the gay dudes?" Jake pondered.  
"Well, he's not wrong," Rosa smirked.  
Amy groaned. "You're insufferable."  
"And you're such a nerd," Jake grinned back. Amy felt the corner of her mouth twitch. "Did you know though, the ancient Greeks used olive oil as lube?"  
"Ew," Boyle cried, as the four took their seats in the classroom. "That's foodstuff that should not be tainted!"  
"Good morning class," Kevin greeted. "This semester, we'll be exploring Greek themes, then you will use what you've learnt by writing your own original fable. Now, how many of you know what a fable is?"  
Of course, Amy was the first to put her hand up. Boyle and Rosa put their hands up after a while as to not attract attention, and Jake didn't put his hand up at all. Amy frowned as Professor Cozner chose one of Marie's friends to answer. _Had one of her responses been bad? Was it because Jake was there and Professor Cozner could see how ridiculous he was?_ Her frown deepened as he noticed Marie and Jake passing notes to each other. _Oh God, he really was bad luck for her._ She tried to pay attention to the class but after 20 minutes of Jake's note passing and Professor Cozner clearly ignoring her, she gave up and began dawdling. 10 minutes later, Jake passed her a note.

 _Are you okay? You haven't raised your hand in 10 minutes._

Amy scowled and scrunched the paper in her fist. _Only 10 more minutes,_ she thought, glancing at the clock.  
After what Amy was sure was the longest 10 minutes of her life, the bell finally rang. Amy had never packed up and raced out of a classroom faster, almost forgetting to thank Professor Cozner. Rosa followed quickly behind, having noticed the strange behaviour during class.  
"What's going on?" Rosa asked, once they hit the ladies room.  
"Uh nothing," Amy said, voice unnaturally high.  
"Don't bullshit me," Rosa warned. "Is it because Professor Cozner didn't call on you in class?"  
"Nooooooo," Amy exclaimed. "Well, not the entire reason," she admitted softly. "Jake is just insufferable!"  
"Look, Amy. I know you have seven brothers and it's tough as a girl fighting for people to listen to you, and for you to get the attention you deserve." Rosa put up a hand as Amy tried to interrupt. "But you have got to cut yourself some slack. You've been top of our grade since we started in kindergarten and you're going to be our Valedictorian. You're still Kevin's favourite. You'll make Music Captain - you don't even need a speech. Holt will write you a recommendation and you'll be a Captain in no time with little future Amy Santiagos vying for your attention. You can't let others get you down."  
Amy opened her mouth several times to argue and then mumbled, "You're right."  
"I'm what?" Rosa prompted.  
"You're right," Amy said a little bit louder.  
"Sorry, didn't quite catch that."  
"YOU'RE RIGHT. Thanks, Rosa," she said with a smile.

Meanwhile, Boyle slammed his hand on Jake's desk as Jake watched Marie leaving the classroom. "Fuuuuck," Boyle gasped as pain shot up his arm.  
"What the fuck, indeed," Jake said, furrowing his eyebrows.  
"Don't 'what the fuck' me, I'm 'what the fuck'-ing you"  
"Ok please stop saying 'what the fuck' so much"  
"What the hell were in the notes you were sending Amy? Why are you making her so uncomfortable! You two are supposed to be a happy couple and-"  
"Woah, I owe her nothing and I've done nothing wrong," Jake snapped as he leapt up from his chair. _Where were all these accusations coming from? It wasn't his fault if_ Little Miss Perfect _was always in a bad mood_. _She should learn to loosen up_. _It was just really fun pushing her buttons._ "We all only just met this morning! You know what - this is officially too much crazy for me," he declared, leaving the classroom in large strides. The only one who was enjoying the interaction was Holt, who nodded in approval as he noticed Jake's tie.  
"Wait, Jake!" Boyle sighed, realising that maybe he'd gone a little too far.

* * *

 **Author's** **Note**  
I just want to point out that while Pembroke/The Vulture may say/make some very lewd and inappropriate comments/actions, I do not agree with them at all, I am only using them to build up his character. If I have made anyone uncomfortable, I would like to sincerely apologise.

PS. I am also looking for recommendations to include in future subject studies. E.g. Chemistry/physics experiments, music pieces/dance styles, drama pieces.

Also - in response to my updating schedule, as I am a new writer, I am not entirely sure yet. It will fluctuate depending on how easily a chapter comes to me at the time, and the length - for example this chapter.


	5. With Or Without You

**With or Without You  
**

 _I'll wait for you_  
 _Sleight of hand and twist of fate_  
 _On a bed of nails she makes me wait_  
 _And I wait, without you_

\- U2

Jake fiddled nervously as Amy rounded the corner towards the chemistry lab. "You don't peg me as the type to get up early," Amy said as she double-checked her watch. "Or even arrive on time," she added as an afterthought. It was 10 minutes before class was due to start.

"You're not wrong," Jake shrugged. "But I heard the uniform shop had extra opening hours this morning, so I came to buy a tie so I could return yours. Here you go."

"Thanks," Amy said, although a little surprised that he had returned it at all. "You could have kept it a while longer though, I wouldn't have minded."

"I think we both know that I would have forgotten to return it.""

"True. Well, thanks anyway. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome. Now, time for my second favour," Jake said as Stentley approached the lab. "I'm requesting for us to be able to work separately."

Amy hesitated. _Had he caught on to her discomfort so quickly? Had she been that obvious? Or had she made him uncomfortable? No, this was his fault, she reminded herself. He just had no regard for her work ethic. They would both be happier working separately, it would be easier for the both of them. A win-win situation. This could be her way out._ Then she remembered her conversation with Rosa. "Wait," she sighed. Jake spun around. "We will probably never be friends," Amy said slowly. "But that's just how life is. It doesn't mean I can't still try to work with you. If anything, it'll be a good experience for me. There are plenty of times I'll have to work with people I won't get along with in my future career, I may as well start now."

"I'm glad I can be of service to you," Jake mock-bowed, receiving a small chuckle. "That's very mature of you."

"Maybe some of my maturity will rub off on you," she teased. At least it would only be one term, 10 weeks. She could manage that.

"That would be one hell of a miracle," he laughed, but sobered up as he put his lab coat, safety glasses and gloves on. "Hey, I was looking at your notes last night. I think you made a mistake in your reaction mechanism."

"You're kidding," she said disbelievingly, but after a while of perusing, she found the error. _Him of all people, and he must've known by then that he was going to ask Stentley to be taken off her project. Why had he wasted that time?_ "Thanks," she said sincerely.

Boyle bursted into the chemistry lab. "Jake," he called out. "Hi Amy," he added.

"I'm sorry," Jake said, looking at Amy. "Can I go talk to him?"

Amy took another look at Boyle, who looked incredibly frantic. "Of course. I'll start setting up."

"Thanks," Jake nodded, as he followed Boyle out of the lab. He returned five minutes later, Boyle looking his usual cheery self again. Amy wasn't expecting an explanation, but he gave one anyway. "Sorry again," he apologised as he helped weigh some of the chemicals needed. "We had a little misunderstanding yesterday, but it's been resolved now."

"I'm glad," she said with a hint of a smile. "He already thinks the world of you, you know." _I don't know why,_ she added mentally.

Jake started to add the silicon dioxide nanoparticles to the flask. "Hang on," Amy interrupted. There seemed to be way too much powder. "How much of this did you measure out?"

"100 grams, why?"

"I think you did your maths wrong. It should be 1 gram... Let me see your calculations," she said. He passed over his notebook. It took Amy a while to decipher the scrawls, but eventually she pulled out her red pen. "You've used the incorrect unit here, here, and here."

"Oh, sorry. Maths... isn't exactly my strong suit."

 _Interesting,_ Amy thought. _If his scholarship wasn't in maths, or in chemistry, what could it be? He's decent at PE - but not great. Maybe drama or dance?_ The corner of her mouth twitched as she thought about Jake being a master of dance. "I can help you," she offered without thinking. It was just in her nature to try and help others.

"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea," Jake spluttered.

Amy narrowed her eyebrows curiously, but when he didn't he elaborate, she replied with a small, "Okay". _Why had he refused her help? It would've been beneficial for both of them in improving their grades. Was he embarrassed?_ She continued to avert her gaze and focused on adding dehydrated toluene to the reweighed silicon dioxide nanoparticles. Jake added the dodecyltrichlorosilane (which had been double checked by Amy) and nitrogen and set it to reflux for 3 hours. Noting the awkward silence, Jake went over to bother Boyle and Rosa instead. Unfortunately, Boyle and Rosa's experiments were much more hands-on and Boyle ran out of entertainment for Jake after 10 minutes. Jake sulked back to his bench and began to play with the first thing in reach, his fidget spinner. Amy was taking the time to work on her Music captaincy speech but Jake and his fidget spinner had unsurprisingly began to distract her. She gave him a pointed look. "Do you mind?"

"Sorry," he apologised, slipping the gadget back into his pocket. He lasted 2 minutes before banging his hand on the desk. "UGH, this waiting is the worst!" he exclaimed.

Amy looked up from her speech again. It was clear she wasn't going to get any work done, so she packed the speech away.

"Tell me about yourself," Jake said grandly.

Amy cocked an eyebrow. It had just occurred to her that the pair really didn't know that much about each other. She wasn't very good about talking about herself since people generally weren't interested. Where should she start? "Umm," she fumbled. "Well, you know I take music." She paused. "I'm trying for music captain. And I'm president of the stenographer's club."

Jake's expression clearly showed that he had no idea what a stenographer was. "That's pretty cool. What instrument do you play?"

"Instruments," she corrected. "French horn and piano. Oh, and a stenographer is someone who transcribes speech into shorthand - an abbreviated form of writing."

"Noice. I have no musical talent whatsoever," he said, pretending he hadn't heard her explanation, although he was secretly grateful that she had managed to explain without being condescending.

"That can't be true," Amy objected. "Dance requires thorough understanding of music."

"Hmm, that's true. The rhythm, the beat." He hesitated, as if debating his next words.

"I used to be co-founder of the school Dance Club, with my friends."

Amy noticed a wistful look on his face. "You must miss them," she noted.

"I do," he said softly. "We played pranks on all the teachers. It was so much fun. I'd never get away with that here, not with Robot Captain Meep Morp Zeep."

"You mean annoying the crap out of everyone," Amy muttered. "What do you gain from it? Captain Holt isn't that bad. He's worked hard to get to where he is. He has a lot of influence. I need him to write me a recommendation when we graduate."

Jake shrugged. "No one dies and ends up in their grave wishing they'd done more work."

"Yeah, but don't you want people to remember you for something?" _Like being the youngest Captain in the NYPD._

"Of course I'm going to be known for something." Jake exclaimed. "Heroically saving the day while everyone else stands around and watches. Just like _Die Hard._ "

Amy rolled her eyes. _He really seemed to love that movie._

"Anyway, why'd you change schools if you were happy where you were? Has to be rough changing in the middle of a school year too."

Jake froze as a cold, hard look passed over his face. "Sometimes things don't go the way we planned," he spat bitterly. "I need to go to the bathroom," he added abruptly.

Amy stared after him, contemplating the sudden change in his mood. _Her question hadn'_ _t been that out of the blue, had it? He was the one who had wanted to introduce themselves, and then_ he'd _backed out. And he'd refused her offer to help earlier. What was his deal?_ Her eyes flicked over to Boyle and Rosa, wondering if they'd seen Jake's outburst, but they were still preoccupied with their project. _Great_ , she thought, looking around the classroom. _Everyone else can function as a team except for us. Even Hitchcock and Scully - nope, they just blew up their flask._ She looked back at the door, expecting him to return.

He didn't.

After 15 minutes, Amy gave up and began working on her Captaincy speech again. _At least I have some quiet now_.

Jake returned in the last 10 minutes of class, wordlessly helping clean up the remaining glassware.

"Thanks," Amy said quietly. She was a little disappointed when he didn't reply with some attempt at a joke, or even a smile.

Even stranger, he didn't join them when class ended. Instead, he followed Marie's friends who instantly laughed at something Jake said. His mood had clearly changed.

"Jake's joined Marie's crew?" Rosa said aloud as they hit the cafeteria: half a statement, half a question.

"Umm yeah," Boyle said hesitantly. "He mentioned it during Chem. He wanted to make sure I was okay with it."

"Are you?" Amy questioned accusingly, though he was grateful for Jake's consideration of Charles' feelings.

"I'll have to be." Boyle shrugged. "Anyway, I'm sure he'll have reason to come back," he said with a wink at Amy, who grimaced in reply.

Jake stayed with Marie's group for the next two weeks, fitting in well. He seemed to pick up the boyfriend status quite quickly - though their relationship was mostly casual; passing notes and giggling during classes, skipping class time to make out, being told off by teachers for too much PDA although none of them seemed to really care. Mr. Doug even seemed to encourage it. Part of Jake wondered if Marie's ability to get around the rules might have to do with all the money Marie's parents constantly donated towards the school foundation - either way, maybe his life could be as it had been back at his old school.

Amy was relieved to be able to get back to being the studious pupil that she was. Kevin even started calling her frequently to answer questions in class again. She continued to give work to Gary - that kid was insatiable. In chemistry, Jake refused to bring up their previous interactions, and Amy was happy to keep their conversations professional. The two had fallen into a comfortable, _silent_ , working pattern anyway - Jake glancing over to double-check Amy's chemical drawings when they had to wait for refluxes to finish, and Jake was happy to let Amy leave the occasional red mark when he'd made a mathematical (or spelling and grammatical - she couldn't help herself) error. _Yes_ , Amy thought. _Jake is much better off being with Marie's group. Marie is just as goofy as he is. I can work properly again._ She was quite proud of herself, making good on her promise to work with someone she wasn't well-suited towards.

Rosa, unsurprisingly, didn't care, although she _would_ break Boyle's fingers if he tried to hi-five her one more time. Fortunately, Boyle was coping quite well otherwise.

And Gina? Despite it being her cousin, she hadn't noticed.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Merry Christmas!

Thought this was a good place to stop, just in time for Christmas too (sorry to my Aussie/NZ neighbours - bit late for some of us). Hope you're enjoying the story, and please leave a review if you have the time. I know Christmas can suck for some people, hope this makes it a little bit better :3.

Additionally, if you hadn't noticed, this chapter's title is based off a famous U2 song. I do enjoy musically themed chapters, so you may see the use of song lyrics a bit more in some of my future chapters, when I find it appropriate.

PS. How excited are you all for Season 6? I can't wait, although NBC is doing a superb job of releasing little tidbits to make the wait a little bit easier :) Little secret, I actually only got into B99 about a month ago - I had seen the "I Want It That Way" cold open and knew I needed to watch the show, but had to wait until after exams. Now I can't imagine my life without having watched it.

Edit (9/1/19): Sorry, I know I should have updated by now, but I'm currently facing writer's block. The next chapter *is* in progress, but I'm having some trouble writing it. Just wanted to keep you updated.


	6. Bet On It

**Author's Note**

Just a heads up, there is some sexual content here, though not explicit (in line with the site's regulations). If you wish to avoid it, I have marked the start and end with bolder asterisks, like ***Stop reading here*** and ***Start reading here***. I also want to acknowledge that the age of consent in New York is 17, but as I am Australian, and for the purposes of this story, I am going by my state's age of consent - which is 16. I want to emphasise that I do not condone underage sexual conduct in any manner.

* * *

 **Bet On It:**

To be certain that something will happen (so much so that one would bet money on it).

Jake was in a great mood. Marie had invited him to pick her up for school that morning - and their mansion (really, it was a mansion) - was every bit as magnificent as described. As Jake made his way up the driveway in his Mustang - he counted 6 tennis courts, an Olympic sized indoor and outdoor swimming pool, and a massive shed which Jake thought might be stables for the horses (actually, it was the dressage arena - the stables were on the other side of the perfectly manicured horse paddocks). Jake pressed the doorbell and waited at the towering polished wooden door. The butler immediately answered."Ah, you must be Jake. Gerry at your service," the short man grinned. "Marie's told me a lot about you. She's been having such a hard time since her break up with Jonathan - I'm glad she's been able to have some fun. That's what high school's all about, ya know?"

"I completely agree," Jake replied, though he was a little taken aback that Marie hadn't brought up Jonathan before if he was such a serious part of her life. Thinking back though, he had heard some of Marie's friends whispering the name when Marie wasn't present. Either way, he didn't really mind being the rebound guy, as long as they continued to have fun, he decided. In fact, this was the only time he'd allowed himself the boyfriend title since Jenny Gildenhorn. Sure he'd been on a few dates, but he always made sure that the girls knew he wasn't looking for something serious. Unsurprisingly, that seemed to deter most of them, until Marie. He was sure that one of the reasons they had such a good relationship was because neither of them had to put in any effort - and now Jake knew why, but he didn't care. He was, however, slightly amused that Marie and Gerry were on such good terms - like something out of The Parent Trap, a movie he greatly enjoyed (though of course, nowhere as much as Die Hard).

"Hang on, let me just get the young lady," Gerry said, interrupting Jake's thoughts, returning shortly with Marie in tow behind.

"You look well rested," Jake smiled, although he thought Marie's signature strawberries and cream scent was particularly strong this morning.

"Come on, let's go. I don't want to be late," Marie said, grabbing Jake's hand and pulling him out of the door. "I'll see you later!" she called to Gerry, who chuckled and waved in reply.

 ***Stop reading here***

"Ah good, we got here early." Marie said breathily as she leaned against the car seat, the red marks on her neck and collarbone barely covered by her blonde hair. The two had been making out and exchanging hickeys at every red light.

"Yeah, because you basically pulled us through that door back at your house," Jake laughed.

"And now I have time to thank you properly for picking me up," Marie said sultrily, her hands reaching for the front of his pants.

"Oh cool cool cool cool cool," he answered, helping kick off his pants which were being _very_ restrictive. He clenched his fists in anticipation as Marie's head popped down next to the steering wheel. He'd watched porn and truly acquainted himself with his right hand, of course, but there was nothing quite like the real thing. Unlike Jake, it was also apparent that it was not Marie's first time, and Jake appreciated that.

Yes, Jake was in a great mood indeed.

 ***Continue reading here***

Jake and Marie shared one last brief kiss outside her French class before strolled confidently into the Chemistry lab. _My day is going exceptionally well,_ he thought to himself. _Maybe Amy had even forgotten about their incident in the first week. I hope she has. It was a private, embarrassing matter and it shouldn't have been brought up._ _She's probably just being professional as usual though, maybe I can be grateful for that at least._

His confidence instantly began to waver when he noticed everyone sitting at their benches in the dry lab section. He slid into the seat next to Amy, it was the closest one next to someone he knew. "What's going on?" he whispered.

"You don't know? Never mind, of course you don't. We have a quiz today. They're held every 3 weeks, and since it's Week 3..."

"We have a test," he echoed. "Uhh, can I, umm, borrow a pen?"

Amy didn't have time to argue as CJ began to distribute the papers, sliding the first pen she had in reach - the one in her hand - given by her parents when she started high school and cherished by her ever since. Jake ran his finger over the letters inscribed to into the silver surface to pass the time. _S... A... N... T... I... A... G... O..._ _God, when would this finish? (Title of Santiago's sex tape),_ he chuckled to himself. He glanced over at Amy, who was flipping through her paper, checking her answers. It was a kind of patience Jake had never experienced.

"Ok, time's up. Swap your papers for marking," CJ announced.

Jake handed Amy's pen with his paper in exchange for her sheet and a red pen (she'd insisted). Jake noticed that Amy seemed surprised when his quiz was in fact _not blank_. Jake wasn't all that surprised as CJ read off the answers and he marked each of Amy's answers as correct. Amy, on the other hand, seemed to be struggling.

"Surprised?" Jake murmured.

"Nuh-uh!"

Jake hadn't gotten a single answer wrong yet, and Amy's reactions were ten times more satisfying.

"Ah hah!" Amy muttered triumphantly, drawing a few raised eyebrows from her classmates. Jake leaned over to where Amy had circled in red pen. He was sure he'd written that based on Le Chatelier's principle, if heat was added to an exothermic reaction, that the left hand side of the equation would be favoured. Some people found chemistry difficult, but to Jake - it was just another puzzle, albeit with more abstract objects.

"Wait, I answered that question correctly," he protested.

"No, you wrote an _endothermic_ reaction."

"It clearly says _exothermic_. See, that's an _x_. You're just blind."

"I'm not blind," Amy snapped defensively, even though she was wearing her contacts as usual, and kept a spare set of glasses in her backpack. "You just have awful handwriting." Nonetheless, she took a closer look at his scribbles. "I suppose that _could_ be an _x,"_ she sighed. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

"Woohoo," Jake cheered. "That means we both got full marks."

"Yay," Amy said sarcastically, as they slid their papers to the end of the bench to be collected by CJ. "Can I just have my pen back now?" she glared, practically snatching it out of his hand.

Jake instantly noticed the change in her tone as she rushed out of the lab when the bell rang. _What had he done to piss her off now?_

"That's not fair," Jake grumbled. _Luckily they had free period now, because their argument could take a while._ Jake chased after Amy, quick on her heels as she made her way outside the school building. "Wait, where are you going?" The school roll wasn't taken during free period, but Amy was never late. To any class. _How does she know this alley so well? Damn, how is it so dark during the day? Where are we going?_ He huffed as he finally rounded the corner and found her sitting on an old park bench. "Is this where you're going to murder me?"

"I didn't ask you to follow me."

"Any functional human being could tell that you were upset." Jake hated not knowing things. Things need to be solved. "I wanted to know why."

"Well it's not like you've explained why you acted out a few weeks ago."

 _So she hadn't forgotten. Why couldn't she just drop it? It wasn't her place to know._ "Are you still mad about that?

"Why shouldn't I be? Maybe I want to know too. But no, that's I am not _currently_ annoyed by that."

"Then what?"

"Well, you've probably already noticed that I'm insanely competitive."

"No kidding," Jake chuckled.

"See? Can't you take anything seriously? You don't even _care_ and we still got the same marks! It's so unfair!" she threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Just because I don't study from the books"

" _By the book_ " she immediately corrected. "And I bet you don't study, ever."

"Whatever." He huffed. "I don't need to study. I didn't to get the scholarship."

"Oh my god," Amy whispered to herself, but Jake caught the dawning realisation on her face.

"What, did you think I had a scholarship in dance?" He did a little twirl for emphasis.

"No!" she protested. "But you get so many of your calculations wrong!"

"Well, I am horrible at maths. I don't try to hide that," he shrugged. "But I have a knack for chemistry." He wagged his eyebrows suggestively, and she punched his shoulder in return.

"Holt's right." she said suddenly. "That attitude isn't going to get you anywhere in life."

 _Can't she just let it go? If he wants his studies to be light and breezy, they'll be light and breezy. It's his life, not hers, and they were doing a damn good job of separating the two. Also, had she really been paying that much attention to his interactions with Holt?_ "I'm going to _prove_ you wrong." he replied determinedly. "I'll be 10 times as successful as you."

"How?"

He paused for a minute, and then a grin spreads along his face. "A bet!"

"I am not engaging in some stupid, childish bet with you."

"I'll make it worth your while." His grin widened. "I'll do all your Chemistry, Drama, English and PE homework for you for a month!"

To his chagrin, she started laughing. "No thanks, you wouldn't do it justice."

"I'll give you my lunch for a month."

Amy crinkled her nose. "My abuela makes lunch for me anyway, also chocolate sprinkle sandwiches are not a healthy choice."

Jake shrugged. It was the quickest thing he could make at home, he really didn't care about the nutritional value.

"I'll set you up on a date with -" _Who was that guy she kept on talking to during English? "_ I'll set you up with Marc."

"He's gay, Jake."

"Oops. Major miscalculation."

Jake racked his brain, but Amy was the one who spoke.

"How about $200? I could use the cash."

Jake shook his head. "If you knew anything about me, you would know I'm in _crushing_ debt." _Wait, why was she helping him? Did she_ want _the bet to work?_

"Wait, is that Mustang your car?"

"Yeah, but I'm not giving you a car."

"Obviously not. But what if you were my chauffeur."

"Oh, Santiago, if you wanted time with me, all you had to do is ask."

"Forget the bet then," she said as she spun on her heel abruptly, clearly threatening to leave.

"No!" Jake said in desperation. He really, really wanted - no, _needed_ \- to prove her wrong. "How long would I have to drive you?"

Amy paused to contemplate. "A month."

"Fine. But you have to do my homework for a month."

Amy shrugged. "Easy enough."

"Then it's settled," Jake held out his hand.

"Not yet. I want it in writing. With witnesses."

The two walked to the library in silence for their free period. The teachers rotated supervision of the class and Stentley was in charge. Jake had a feeling that Amy had somehow already known the teachers' schedules as they slipped past Stentley's vacant chair.

"Where have you guys been? You're 10 minutes late. Jake, you're not going to sit with Marie?" Boyle whispered frantically with a hint of hope in his voice.

"Amy and I made a bet," Jake said plainly.

Even Gina looked up from her phone at those words.

"Oooh, what is it?" Boyle squealed.

Jake looked at Amy for verification. They hadn't worked out the exact terms. "Whoever has the highest Chemistry mark at the end of Term 3 wins the bet." Jake let out a breath when she didn't protest.

"If I win," Amy said gleefully. "He has to drive me around for a month. If he wins, I have to do all his homework for a month."

"Oh Pineapples," Gina chided. Amy smirked at the nickname. "Amy loves homework. That's not even a punishment for her, it's a turn on. Well, not that the two are mutually exclusive..." she pondered.

"Yeah Jakey, that's not fair at all." Boyle agreed.

"Ok, let's change it then," Amy said boldly. She was sure that anything Jake came up with would be worth having him drive her around for a month.

"Prom." Jake said suddenly.

"Prom?" Amy and Boyle squeaked, as Gina just smiled knowingly.

"If I win, I want to take you to prom. I'm going to show you _how to have fun_." Jake teased, though even he was still confused himself. _Had he seriously just passed up the opportunity for his homework to be done for him for a month_ , _just to have the opportunity to ridicule her?  
_

Boyle let out a sigh in disappointment. Amy let out a sigh of relief. Of course Jake just wanted to humiliate her. She could live with that.

Jake waited for a response. She hadn't refused outright, but she hadn't agreed either. _Maybe she'll back out - what if she's already been asked? But she's not dating anyone, and most people ask around Valentine's - so cliche._

Amy furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Aren't you going with Marie?"

At this point, most of the class have overheard, and gathered around their desks - except for CJ - mostly because he's still in another part of the library, looking for his phone that he left on some bookshelf.

"If Jake gets a better grade than you," Marie interjected, "I'll gladly go to prom alone. It would take nothing short of a miracle. Nothing personal, Jake, just that Amy has been class valedictorian since class valedictorian was introduced."

Jake couldn't believe it. _His girlfriend was rooting for him to go to prom with someone else? Wait, maybe it has something to do with Jonathan._

"Aww girl you underestimate my protege," Gina said in mild disappointment. _Then again, what could she expect? All humans besides herself were disappointing._

"Yeah, my man Jake can do anything!" Boyle added.

"I'm with Amy on this one," Rosa shrugged. "Sorry Gina, you have a lot up your sleeves, but you just can't beat Amy's studying strategies."

"No hard feelings, but I hate you. Not joking. Though, might be a good time for our own bet."

"$50" Rosa offered immediately.

"Hey!" Both Amy and Jake objected, "You can't start a bet on our bet!" But it was too late, Rosa and Gina had already started collecting funds from their classmates, who also wanted in.

Jake noticed more people were betting on Amy than they were on him. _Fair enough, he was still the newcomer. A single perfect Chemistry test result wasn't convince them. Especially when he sucked in maths and made it blatantly obvious._

"It's not too late to back out, Peralta," Amy taunted.

" _It's not too late to back out_ , TITLE OF YOUR SEX TAPE." Jake grinned. "But no way I'm giving up this opportunity," he said firmly. He wasn't going to let her see his unease. _Plus, he loved challenges. Him proving the whole grade wrong would only make his victory sweeter._

"Then we better set some rules. Rosa, help?" Amy said, as she pulled out her laptop.

After some bickering back and forth throughout what was left of the class, Jake and Amy seemed to have finally found a middle ground.

"Okay, so that concludes the rules." Amy sighed with relief.

"I just have one more rule to add," Jake said quietly. He dragged his cursor across the computer document to reveal a final clause in white lettering (so it couldn't be seen by the others).

With a look of mock seriousness on his face, he watched for her reaction. He was joking, of course, there was no way he could see them ever being friends, even, but it was just _too easy_ to rile her up.

"Won't be a problem," Amy said smugly, as she saved the document, sent a copy to Jake, and closed her laptop lid.

* * *

 **Rules of the Peraltiago Bet**

Section 1. Scoring of the bet

 _1.1 All Chemistry grades from independent assessment, i.e. exams and tests but not group projects, from Term 2 Week 3 to Term 3 Week 7, will be counted._

 _1.2 Weighting will be given as outlined in the course profile._

 _1.3 Any cheating on any assessment will result in immediate disqualification._

 _1.4 In the event that someone is unable to complete the assessment due to illness or other reasons, the grade for both participants will be nullified._

Section 2. Conditions if Amy wins

 _2.1 The prize can be claimed either at the start of Spring Break (15 April) for 4 weeks (until 10 May) or start of Term 4 (22 April) for 4 weeks (until 17 May)._

 _2.2 Jake must agree to drive Amy unless he has academic or co-curricular commitments._

 _2.3 Amy is allowed to request that Jake drive between the following hours: 7 a.m. - 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday._

 _2.4 Amy is allowed to request a maximum of 20 drives or 5 hours of driving per week, whichever is smaller._

 _2.5 Amy may control the music and air conditioning while she is in the car._

 _2.6 Jake must obey all traffic laws._

 _2.7 Jake must clean his car before he picks Amy up._

 _2.8 If either Amy or Jake are sick, the prize will be extended for the duration of the illness._

Section 3. Conditions if Jake wins

 _3.1 Jake can collect Amy for prom anytime from 3 p.m. and must return her to home by midnight._

 _3.2 Jake must clean his car before he picks Amy up, or rent a clean car. Jake must obey all traffic laws if driving._

 _3.3 Jake has control of Amy's wardrobe, hair and makeup._

 _3.4 Amy may have three bathroom breaks._

 _3.5 With the exception of Rule 3.4, Amy must stay with Jake at all times if requested._

 _3.6 Amy must oblige to any dance requests from Jake._

 _3.7 Amy is not obligated to do any public displays of affection._

3.8 No matter what happens, Amy Santiago is not allowed to fall in love with Jacob Peralta.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Sorry this chapter took so long - in fairness, it's my longest chapter so far, and an important foundation chapter for some future events in the story line, so it kind of had to be perfected. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I'm enjoying building up this little world.

PS. HOW GOOD IS SEASON 6? Bless NBC


	7. I Knew You Were Trouble

**I Knew You Were Trouble**

 _(when you walked in)_

It had been a week and neither Jake nor Amy had brought up the bet, probably because they hadn't had any more Chemistry tests. Amy hoped Jake had forgotten about the bet. She wasn't worried about losing - she knew she was the smartest in their grade, even Marie had bet on her. Of course, she wasn't unbeatable, but if she did lose to anyone, it certainly wouldn't be to the class clown. Unfortunately, right now she had to ask him to put in more hours. Their project was doing fine, but they were running behind on their report and presentation writing and if they wanted enough time to be able to explore novel applications, they would need to work after school. _Ugh, how was she going to ask him? She couldn't even get him to take her seriously for longer than a minute._

Amy noticed what was going on about 10 minutes into the class. She had been so focused on trying to figure out how she could approach Jake, that Jake had used her distraction to his advantage and started _deliberately_ leaving the glassware in a mess, even messier than usual. The final straw was when he placed the round-bottom flask less than a centimetre from the edge, just waiting to roll over and splinter into a billion hazardous pieces on the ground. "Hey!" she grumbled, as she instinctively shifted the flask towards the back of the fume hood. "Don't you know how dangerous that is?"

"Ah, Amy Santiago is finally back," Jake proclaimed with a dramatic bow.

Amy fixed him with a glare. "God, you are insufferable." _Was he seriously so starved for attention?_ She sighed. _Come on, Santiago. Just ask him. Worse case scenario is that he says no, and you have to write the presentation and report yourself, but that's what you're used to anyway. It'd just be a shame because Jake has actually seemed genuinely interes-_

"Amy," Jake said abruptly, interrupting her thoughts. "What's going on?" he demanded, looking pointedly at her hands.

Amy looked at him abashedly as she too noticed that her hands were shaking, spilling their carefully measured chemicals all over the table. They were going to have to reweigh their compounds and record them all over again in their notebooks. "Shit. Sorry," she muttered as she ran to grab some paper towels to clean up her mess. To her disappointment, he was still looking at her expectantly for an answer _._ Amy sighed. _There was no getting out of asking him now._

"Iknowourprojectisgoingreallywellandthatwe'vealmostfinishedcreatingallthecompoundsbutiwaswonderingif-"

"Amy," Jake interrupted again. "Slow down."

"I know our project is going really well," Amy repeated. "We've almost finished creating all the compounds. But I'd really like to have the opportunity to explore some of temperature effects. I know it's more effort than we need to put in and that we could probably get an A regardless, but some of this work could be published. It'd just be a few extra hours a week but I don't expect you to say yes -"

"I'm in," Jake said before she could start doubting herself again. "It's a fun project. You chose well. We can start today after school, if you want. I can even drive us," he said, with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

A small smile crossed Amy's lips, masking her surprise. "That would be great."

With the tension gone from Amy's shoulders, the two were in sync again. They were able to set up the reflux without any further issues, partially because Jake didn't pull off anymore stunts that went against OH&S. Neither of them spoke while they waited for the class to end. Amy was working on her mathematics assignment that had been issued to them only the period before, and Jake was unusually quiet. When Amy allowed her eyes to flicker over to see what had him occupied, she noticed that he was working on his fable for English. She caught the words _goat_ _legs_ and _wheat_ before shifting her eyes back to her own computer before Jake could notice.

* * *

Jake was ten minutes late to Drama after lunch, accompanied by one very dishevelled Marie, who Amy noted, had her shirt buttoned wrong. There were snickers from amongst the class. "Mr Peralta and Ms Rossi, I hope you have a very good reason for being late," Holt said, annoyed at being interrupted (not that anyone could tell by his expression). Jake's face immediately fell, looking around the classroom for some inspirational excuse. Marie had a smug look on her face, clearly having dealt with this situation many times before. "Yes, sir," Marie smiled coyly. "Jake was helping me with my anatomy assignment and I guess we just got carried away, the content was very hands-on."

"But we don't have anatomy," Scully said in confusion to Hitchcock, over the choruses of laughter. Jake fiddled with his tie as Marie shot smirks at her classmates.

"Enough." Holt commanded, silencing the class. "I have a meeting in 10 minutes, so let's make this quick. Ms Rossi, you can join me in some community service after school, and I want _both_ of you to have a 500 word essay on the importance of being on time on my desk before school starts tomorrow." Both of them knew better to disagree. It was Amy's turn to stifle her amusement, over the relief that Jake would still be able to work on their project that afternoon. "Now, moving on. Mr. Cozner, Mr. Jeffords and Ms. Gunter I have some news which some many consider exciting. As you know, every year, the Drama, Dance and Music department assist in putting on a production. This year, your senior leaders have chosen to perform _Matilda the Musical_. Your seniors Hannah Thompson, Elizabeth Young and Thomas Ryan will be playing the roles of Matilda Wormwood, Jenny Honey and Agatha Trunchbull respectively. Auditions for the remaining characters will be held this Thursday at lunchtime. In particular, the Year 11 Drama class will be in charge of organising the library story scenes. Every student is expected to play their part. Furthermore, as is customary, the Music and Dance students have not been assigned a specific scene but have been trusted to choreograph their own pieces as necessary. I look forward to seeing what you all come up with and will leave you now with Mr. Jeffords so you can start your discussions. Good day." He turned and briskly walked out of the room with the other teachers following closely behind.

Mr. Jeffords stood up. "Today, we will be watching the 1966 film version of _Matilda._ This should give you some insight into the characters for those of you who haven't read the books."

The class cheered at not having to do any proper work - well, except for Amy, of course, who _needed_ to take some notes on the film, even though she'd watched it numerous times. _Hey, it wasn_ _'_ _t her fault that she related to Matilda._ "God, you're such a nerd," Gina whispered as she painted her nails.

Amy ignored her, clicking on an email instead that had been addressed to her from the other leaders of the Music department regarding the musical. Unsurprisingly, Amy was the first junior that had ever been appointed leader of either department - but after her ten-page proposal explaining why she had the necessary qualities, and several handmade cards, Holt had caved. To be honest, he'd probably have just given her the position if she asked.

 _Dear Amy Santiago,_ (her co-leaders had quickly learnt that Amy treated any email that didn't have a formal greeting as spam)

 _As you know, the musical Matilda has been chosen this year for us to perform. We will be_ _liaising closely with the Dance department, so after discussing with Matt and Lydia_ _, we agreed that we_ _should start combining our classes straight away, so we can work out what we need for each scene. In addition, we have also arranged a meeting for half an hour before school tomorrow._

 _Kind regards,_

 _Ryan and Hannah_

Amy sent a quick reply saying that she could attend, before checking a second email, inviting Music and Dance students to a performance in the mid-Winter break.

* * *

"So, what address should I put in?"

 _Shit. Of course Jake thinks you'll be working at your house. You were the one who invited him, you idiot. But they couldn't work there -_ _all her family would be there, and it would just be overcrowded. Her brothers would tease her mercilessly - Jake already did that plenty - and her father would probably ask to help, which would be a disaster_.

"Is it alright if we work at your house?" Amy asked quietly. "I know I was the one who asked you to put in extra hours, but..." Her voice began to waver. She felt awkward intruding like that - it was her idea to work more on the project, but they kind of needed to if they were going to do it justice.

"Sure, it's not a problem." Jake replied with a smile, and Amy was briefly reminded of her reply when they'd made the bet. She let out a sigh of relief at not having to explain herself. "My mum's out at parent-teacher meetings, and _dad_ ," he paused, saying the last word with a bit of disdain, "is out flying again."

Amy wanted to ask more, _Was his father an international pilot? Where did his mother teach?_ Instead she just twiddled her fingers and looked out the window as Jake drove. Amy was quite enjoying the silence when Jake started belting out - yes, belting out - some lyrics.

 _"ONCE UPON AGO_  
 _A FEW MISTAKES AGO_  
 _I WAS IN YOUR SIGHTS_  
 _YOU GOT ME ALONE"_

"Jake, focus on the road." _She was not going to die in a car accident._ Of course, her irritation only egged him on.

 _"YOU FOUND ME_  
 _I GUESS I LIKED THAT_  
 _I GUESS I DIDN'T CARE_  
 _YOU TOOK A STEP BACK_  
 _WITHOUT ME, WITHOUT ME, WITHOUT ME"_

She rolled her eyes in exasperation before letting out a groan. It's New York and school has just ended, so of course they're stuck in traffic. She wanted to berate him further, but she'd had a really long day and was quite exhausted. Mr. Cozner had basically told her that she had to rewrite her entire fable - her lead character didn't have enough human qualities, he'd said. Also, Gary, her understudy, hadn't stopped hassling her about more work - luckily the musical had just been announced, so she just told him to start practicing their pieces. Amy just really needed a break.

 _"AND HE'S LONG GONE_  
 _WHEN HE'S NEXT TO ME_  
 _AND I REALISE THE BLAME IS ON ME"_

Maybe it's because they were in traffic and there was literally no escape, or because she was just so tired, or because it was one of the few songs she actually knew, or because his excitement was contagious, but she suddenly found herself joining in.

 _"CAUSE I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE WHEN YOU WALKED IN_  
 _SO SHAME ON ME NOW_  
 _FLEW ME TO PLACES I'D NEVER BEEN_  
 _SO YOU PUT ME DOWN OH_  
 _I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE WHEN YOU WALKED IN_  
 _SO SHAME ON ME NOW_  
 _FLEW ME TO PLACES I'D NEVER BEEN_  
 _NOW I'M LYING ON THE COLD HARD GROUND"_

She paused, because the next bit aren't really words, and then she couldn't contain her laughter as she ignored the stares from the cars and pedestrians nearby because Jake started screaming like some animal. _  
_

_*GOAT SCREAM* "TROUBLE, TROUBLE, TROUBLE"_  
 _*GOAT SCREAM* "TROUBLE, TROUBLE, TROUBLE"_

They still had a grin from ear to ear, breaking into occasional laughter as they pulled up to Jake's house. Amy was sure she'd finally contained herself and was breathing normally again when Jake turned to her, holding his phone.

"I found this video of Holt," he said, and Amy leaned over eagerly. She's met with an actual screaming goat, and she slapped his shoulder in retaliation, but they're both doubled over in laughter.

Surprisingly, he was the first one out of the car, and even has time to gallantly open the door for her. "Come on, Santiago."

She waved off his offered hand and shrugged her backpack over her shoulder.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Jake said as turned his key and opened the front door. The house was decorated simply, with the usual furnishings to make it seem homely, but Amy felt like something was missing. There was a vase filled with lilies in the living room, but they were wilted and well in need of replacing. Amy noticed that there family pictures, like any home, but they were all of Jake and his mother when he was younger - he couldn't be older than 9. There were no pictures of his father, or any siblings - and Amy's confused because he said that his father lived with them. She caught a glimpse at one last picture - _wait, is that Gina?_ They were sitting in a car - Gina in the backseat, smiling at the camera, whilst Jake is sulking in the boot with his hand on a blue blanket.

"Can I offer you a drink? Orange soda?" Jake called from the kitchen, and Amy scrambled to catch up.

"Is that like Orangina?"

Jake spluttered on his glass. "What? No, it's way better. Here, try it," he instructed, pouring her a glass.

 _How bad could it be?_ She thought, taking a sip. "Oh my god, how much sugar is in this?" she asked as she crinkled her nose.

"Who cares?" he said, downing the whole glass before refilling it. They made their way to his bedroom.

"So, I'm guessing you have a binder full of research already."

"Of course, where else would I keep my notes?" _Was he crazy?_

He pulled out his laptop. "It's 2019, Santiago. Technology is our _friend_."

"Whatever," she shrugged. "Let's compare notes." _That would shut him up._

She leaned over to look at his word document and found herself pleasantly surprised. _There must be dozens of pages of notes there, and with his own annotations. Of course, I can't read his absolutely terrible handwriting, but there's no doubt - he's been busy._

Amy gulped down her serving of humble pie, trying not to show _too_ much awe on her face. "Umm, so, what section/s were you thinking of writing?"

"We'll start with the obvious. I suck at maths, so I'd prefer you to do the results section so I can avoid the calculations. In exchange, I can do the discussion."

"Sounds good. I can do the method section also," _since_ _I like giving out instructions,_ was left unspoken, but she felt that most people, particularly Jake, knew that anyway.

"Noice. I can do the introduction and conclusion as well - they often fit together."

"All that's left is the abstract then, I'm happy to do that."

"Cool cool cool cool cool, no doubt, no doubt no doubt."

 _Was that a nervous tic he had?_ she wondered before the two began to roughly draft what they wanted to be included in each section.

Hours passed by without either of them keeping track. They had finished the whole outline of the report and also made some notes for the presentation when Jake stood up to turn the lights on and Amy glanced at her watch. _7:10_. "Uh, I should get home now. My brothers will be intolerable if they don't get dinner soon."

"Right, of course. I've gotta get started on Holt's essay anyway," he smiled wryly. "I'll walk you out."

"Thanks. Seriously though, you should really stop messing with Holt."

They made it halfway down the stairs and Amy was expecting his typical cocky answer when she saw Jake freeze, realising they weren't alone. Lying on the couch in the living room was an older, _shirtless_ man - and barely visible, covered by his body - was a woman, just as naked. _Shit,_ Amy thought. _Those must be his parents._ She could see the family resemblance between Jake and the man.

Roger jumped up when he heard Jake. "Oh, hello, son," he said lightheartedly.

Amy glanced between the two men, trying to make sense of the obvious hostility. Jake had a dangerous look in his eyes that completely mirrored the expression he'd had the day he'd run out in the middle of chemistry.

"At least put some clothes on when I have a classmate over," Jake spat in disgust. "I'm going to take her home."

"That's not neces-," Amy began. She had been planning to ask one of her brothers to pick her up, but Jake shot her a look of desperation that made her pause. "Let's go."

Amy had never been on such an awkward car ride in her life. It was even quieter than the time when she'd been caught after-hours restocking the teacher's fridge, so Mr. Jeffords had to drive her home with his wife and two twin girls in the backseat. She texted her parents to tell them that she'd gotten a lift and not to worry, but then she had nothing else to occupy herself with. _Incy Wincy Spider_ started to play over and over in her head and her fingers were climbing up through the air. She was almost wishing for Jake to be singing again when he finally broke the silence.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Jake sighed, once he was no longer holding his breath and his knuckles were no longer white from gripping the steering wheel.

" _I'm sorry you had to see that,_ TITLE OF YOUR SEX TAPE." Amy blurted out. _Shit. What a completely inappropriate reaction._

To her relief, Jake broke out into laughter. "You're learning!"

Amy let out her own chuckle and relaxed back into her seat as Jake slid in a new Taylor Swift CD. _At least he's calming down,_ she thought as she ignored his awful singing. When _Shake It Off_ came on, Amy found herself humming along.

"Hey, you're going to the ski lodge this weekend, right?" Jake casually asked mid-song.

"Umm, yeah." Amy replied. She wasn't sure why he was interested. She didn't feel the need to return the question - it was obvious that he was going as his girlfriend's family owned the whole place. _Oh wait. Maybe Marie doesn't want her going. But that doesn't make sense - all we did was make one bet, a bet that she egged on._

"I just didn't peg you as a skiier," he explained, as if sensing her unease.

Amy's competitiveness flared up again. "Snowboarder," she corrected. His mouth dropped open. "My family have had a place at the Adirondacks since I was young. My younger brother David preferred snowboarding so I learnt too so I could supervise him."

"Not bad, Santiago," he commented before they fell back into a comfortable silence.

"Well, that's my house." Amy pointed. It was dark but the rows of assorted tulips out the front were unmistakeable. "Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Amy asked, as she opened her car door. She could ask her parents if he could come over for dinner - she was sure they wouldn't mind another boy at the table. _  
_

"Yeah," Jake smiled weakly. "Gina already knows I'm coming over. She's been dealing with my family issues since we've been old enough to know what they are. But, uh, you wanna meet up in the library after school on Thursday? I should be able to finish the introduction by then."

"I'd appreciate that," Amy smiled back, before turning to walk to her front door. "Good night, Jake."

* * *

 **Author's Note**

The lyrics in this chapter are from Taylor Swift's _I Knew You Were Trouble_ and are entirely hers. Also, this is the goat video, watch?v=NfPndEB2ec0 and it just really reminded me of the episode where Jake keeps on Amy screaming sheep videos (Yes I know sheep & goats are not the same, but close enough).

Furthermore, if you want the full transcript of _Matilda The Musical_ for some background information, they can be found here: site/qitranscripts/matilda-act-1 and site/qitranscripts/matilda-act-2. However, I would strongly encourage you to see it live if you ever get the opportunity.

Just a heads up also that I am thinking of merging some of my earlier chapters, A) for continuity reasons and B) to match the length of the other chapters. Please do not be thrown off - none of the content in the chapters are being deleted (though I do edit them sometimes after they're posted).


	8. Slippery Slope

**Slippery Slope:**

A course of action likely to lead to something bad or disastrous.

"Hey kiddo," Gina said with her usual cheer, sliding into the bus seat next to Jake. "How's it going?"  
Jake looked at her with tired eyes and shrugged. "I don't know what to do. Mum still doesn't know. Dad took her out to _Olio_ _e Piu_ last night. I don't know how he can look at her and pretend everything's fine."  
Gina leaned over and enveloped him in a hug. "Jake, can you do me a favour? Forget about them this weekend. All this negative energy is messing up my chakras. So until we get back to Brooklyn, I don't want to hear about it any more."  
Jake quickly removed himself from her embrace to give her a confused look. He knew Gina always had his best intentions at heart, but her methods were seriously questionable. Of course he wanted to forget about his parents' failing marriage; but how was he supposed to just let her mum set herself up to get hurt? He looked relieved as he saw Marie and her friends approaching. "You better go," he said pointedly.  
Gina nodded and stood up. It made her furious that Jake, his mum and Nana were such wonderful people yet were stuck with Roger. She bent down and placed a kiss on the top of his head. "I love you. Everything will be okay."  
"Love you too, goose," he said quietly as she went to go sit next to Boyle.  
He plastered a smile on his face as Marie took Gina's place and gave him a kiss that was far too wet for his liking.  
"You excited to go skiing?"  
"Hell yeah," he said, his usual competitiveness kicking in.  
"Don't get too cocky," she smirked, "Gerry's the only one who's ever been able to beat my time. If you're up for it though," she said, nuzzling his ear, "I know a bunch of backcountry trails where no one can find us."  
"That. Sounds. Perfect," he whispered back. "Hey, you know what would make this bus ride more tolerable?"  
"I'm not having bathroom sex with you."  
Jake spluttered. Sure, they'd been pretty handsy, but they had never discussed sex. Although she'd made it clear she wasn't a virgin, most of the action had admittedly been with their clothes on. She hadn't brought it up, and like the gentleman he was, Jake had never pressured her. "Uh, I was just going to suggest that we start karaoke."  
"Ooh," exclaimed one of Marie's friends excitedly.  
"I know," Marie said, pulling out her iPhone XS Max and quickly putting on a song.

 _Is this the real life_

 _Is this just fantasy_

Marie began to sing, Jake and her friends joining in immediately. The whole bus followed suit soon after - except for Amy and some of the teachers. _Wait_ , Jake thought as he caught Amy in the corner of his eye. _Gina's sitting with Boyle, and Rosa's got a seat by herself, who the hell is sitting next to Amy?_ The mystery woman had blonde hair and was talking pretty animatedly to Amy. _They clearly know each other very well,_ Jake deduced. _But it's definitely not someone from our school, although she's around our age._ Jake shrugged off the thought as he brought his attention back to singing, hearing a few groans at the front from the teachers. It was going to be a long bus ride.

Jake was dozing off with Marie's head on his shoulder when he was shaken gently.  
"Hey," Amy said, eyes betraying mild panic. "Did you tell one of the teachers about our bet?"  
"No, of course not," Jake said groggily. "Why would you think that?"  
"Because they're all making bets!"  
"Oh _really_?" Jake chuckled, still half asleep. "Bet they're betting on me."  
"That's not how it works," Amy said, voice edged in frustration. " _Fix this_. But no, obviously they're not betting on you. I've been their star pupil since first grade. You're just some three-year-old in a sixteen year old's body"  
"Okay, okay," Jake said, "No need to feed the hand that bites you."  
" _Bite the hand that feeds you._ You really think the teachers are betting on you?" she scoffed.  
"Do you want my help or not," Jake retorted, already untangling himself from Marie to avoid waking her up. As they approached the front of the bus, Jake noticed Amy's friend had shuffled over next to Rosa, to give room for Amy and Jake to sit together. The two looked very uncomfortable with each other, and clearly were trying do their best to just ignore the situation. "Hey, who's your friend?" he whispered.  
"Oh, that's Kylie. She's been my neighbour since we were born at the same hospital 2 minutes apart. But she goes to Preston High School. She came because apparently she set up a date for me. Now hush."  
Jake did as she said and listened closely to the teachers. _They really were betting on them_. "I reckon Jake's gonna win," CJ argued. "I see myself in him. I bet $100."  
"That's because the pair of you are never growing up," Dozerman snorted. "My money's on Amy. Her methods of efficiency are second to none. I'll match your $100."  
"I think Peralta will surprise us. I'm putting $50 on him," Jeffords said.  
"$50 on Amy. This'll be easy money," added Kevin. "What's your bet, Raymond?"  
"I am not engaging in such childish behaviours, Kevin, and quite frankly, I'm surprised."  
Wuntch cackled, an awful, grating sound. "What's the matter, Holt? Worried that neither of your students will pass the year? Things certainly aren't looking promising in mathematics. I'd bet $100 that Jake won't pass my class."  
There was silence for several minutes. Jake looked at Amy questioningly. "Holt and Wuntch have been feuding since any of us started school," she explained quietly. "We're not sure why."  
"I'll pay to see you put your money where your mouth is. Jake may be an overgrown child," Holt said. "But he has talent, and discipline can be learned. You should probably stop bragging that you're just an incompetent teacher, because I'll match your $100 to say that Jake will get a solid grade in mathematics, and I'll bet an additional $50 that he gets better chemistry results than Amy."  
Jake didn't hear the rest of their bickering, because he suddenly noticed Amy glaring at him. The phrase, _if looks could kill_ , came to mind.  
"I'm sorry we haven't found the traitor yet."  
Amy gave a harsh laugh. "Maybe because it's _you_. I can't believe it! I've spent years trying to get him to be my mentor, and you just show up out of nowhere with your juvenile ways and he can't help but _rescue_ you. You stole my rabbi," she said accusingly. Jake thought she might have been on the verge of tears.  
"I didn't mean to. You think I want Holt breathing down my neck? Trust me, it's the last thing I want." he replied defensively. She seemed genuinely heartbroken and it made Jake feel _guilty_ , and he didn't know what to do. He sprang for the first idea that came to mind. "Look, if you want to call the bet off -"  
"Absolutely not. I have to prove what a huge mistake everyone's making."  
"Cool cool cool cool, no doubt no doubt no doubt. Well, I better head back then, I think Marie's waking up."  
Jake stood up quickly from his seat, and then sat back down quickly. He leaned down to whisper in Amy's ear. "I know who did it."  
Amy spun around to look at where Jake was gesturing to. Moving his head repeatedly from the teachers to his phone was the Vulture, the grin on his face clearly indicating that he was up to no good.  
"Ugh, of course it's him!" Amy exclaimed, and Jake was relieved to no longer be the primary target of her frustration. "But what can we do?"  
"Oh, we'll get him back." Jake said determinedly. "He stole a _legally_ _binding document_ , now he has to pay."  
Amy looked like she was about to lecture him on legally binding documents, but no words came out. Instead, she just nodded.  
"I'm going to go talk to Marie, maybe we can replace the shampoo in his room with hair removal gel."  
"Okay," Amy said, looking back over at Holt.  
"I'm going to go," Jake confirmed. He was pretty sure Amy needed some time to process what had just happened, and he needed to prepare himself to have Holt watching his every move. As he walked back to Marie, he could faintly hear Kylie compassionately listening to Amy's complaints.

* * *

"Yes, I can ask the chef to make you chicken nuggets," Marie chuckled.  
"Great, because I'm starved." Jake pouted. "We've had a big day." First the long bus ride, then unpacking and sorting out rooms - fortunately, it wasn't classed as an official school excursion, so students could pick mixed rooms if they chose. They'd all hit the slopes then. Boyle and Gina had clocked out instantly at the blue runs; Boyle due to his lack of athleticism, Gina due to a lack of attention. Kylie supervised from the sidelines as Amy and her younger brother David practised some snowboarding moves on the half pipe. _Come on, we can't watch them all day,_ Marie had protested. Eventually Marie had dropped her own friends off at the black runs, leaving her and Jake to explore some of the safer off-piste runs as a couple. Marie had been holding back all day, but it was quite the miracle that Jake hadn't fallen over or crashed into any obstacles.

Marie was in the middle of her creme brulee when Gerry rang. Of course, Jake was having an assortment of fairy bread and chocolate crackles. "Oh good, Gerry's got the shampoo for us. He said Mr. Pembroke is currently down for an appointment at the spa, so he won't be back for at least an hour."  
"Fantastic. You finish your dessert while I go to the bathroom. I'll meet you outside," Jake instructed. In truth, he slipped around to the other side of the dining table - where Amy was conveniently having her date with Gabe. He hid himself behind the large white pillar, eavesdropping. He wondered what he could do to get his attention - finally, it _flew_ into his mind.  
"Thanks for coming all this way," Amy sighed. She frowned and began swatting the air as a mini paper aeroplane landed in her hair. "I'm sorry -" _swat!_ "I haven't been able to find any time," _swat!_ "between my studies," _swat! swat!_ "the Chemistry project, and the stenographer's club. OKAY, WHAT THE HELL?"  
"Oh, hello, Amy" Jake interrupted. "Hi there, I'm Mr. Peralta, Amy's teacher."  
"That's not true," Amy groaned. "What are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be working with Principal Holt?"  
"I'm on a date," Jake gloated, nudging his chin in the direction of his table. "She wants me to help choose her shampoo," he said, with a meaningful look in his eye.  
"Well, she appears to be leaving."  
"You should choose raspberry," Gabe supplied obliviously.  
"Worth it, have a good night." Jake sprinted to the bathroom door before Marie could notice he was missing.  
"You ready?" Marie asked as she rounded the corner.  
"Yep, let's go," Jake replied, trying to hide that he was out of breath.  
The next morning, The Vulture would wonder how it had lost all its feathers. A loud screeching could be heard echoing through the halls. Amy would whisper to Jake, "Aren't vultures supposed to be bald, anyway?"

* * *

"Wakey wakey, handsome Jakey," Marie said, peering over Jake.  
"Ugh," Jake groaned, before the smell of bacon hit him. "Ooh, did you order breakfast in bed?"  
"I sure did, so you need to get up," she demanded, pulling the curtains wide open.  
"Mmm," Jake moaned as he stuffed a piece of french toast loaded with scrambled eggs, bacon, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and maple syrup into his mouth.  
"So, I was thinking that we could just relax today - go get some massages, visit the sauna..." Jake said hopefully.  
"Oh no, we don't have time for that. Amy said something about beating your ass on the slopes, so we're all going out to the backcountry today. Now hurry up."  
"Five more minutes," Jake pleaded. Five minutes turned to be ten, and Marie had to get him back up with a hand job.

"Hey, has anyone seen the Vulture today?" Gina asked casually.  
"Why, are you tapping that ass?" Rosa said bluntly. "'Cause it's kinda hot."  
"Ew," Amy and Jake said in unison.  
"You didn't bring Gabe?" Jake whispered, once Marie was out of earshot, involved in a conversation with her friends.  
"I, uh, forgot to ask him for his number," Amy admitted.  
"I swear she doesn't even try," Kylie whined. Jake choked back on laughter, receiving a glare from Amy.  
"Michelle was asking about that time you had that roller chair fire extinguisher derby," interrupted Marie. She was getting tired of how little Jake tried to converse with her friends, a few of her friends had made complaints.  
"What possible excuse could you have had for that?" Amy grumbled, trying to divert the conversation away from her failed date.  
"It was _science_ ," Jake argued.  
"In what way?" Amy rolled her eyes.  
"Come on, we better get to the start of the trail before it gets too covered up in snow," Marie said impatiently.  
The others quickly scrambled to follow her.  
"Are you snowboarding today?" Jake asked.  
"No, thought I'd beat you on skis today," Amy quipped.  
"Not a chance, Santiago."

"How the hell have you beaten me on every single run?" Jake panted, as he came third behind Marie and Amy, _again._  
"It's just simple physics Jake." Amy shrugged.  
"Plus, Amy and I have been skiing a lot more than you," Marie added. The two had spent some time waiting for Jake on the previous runs and struck up a conversation, discussing their snow experiences. Marie had been overseas a lot more than Amy, who had only been to Cuba a handful of times, but they still found themselves with things in common.  
Of course, Jake still wasn't deterred. "I'm going to run circles around you all on this slope!"  
"Good, because this is by far the hardest one - and my favourite. I wasn't sure if you guys were ready, but I think we've had enough practice."  
"Hmm, he might actually win this one," Rosa commented as Jake was the first one to round the corner.  
"Nana taught us to never give up," Gina said proudly.  
"That's my Jakey!" Boyle chanted.  
Marie and Amy were quick on Jake's heels, and soon the three were again, too far ahead to be seen by the others. The first jump came up, and obstacles were Jake's weak spot - he really didn't have the finesse to manoeuvre them - which gave Marie and Amy time to catch up. Determined to not lose again, Jake made another signature impulse decision. Waiting until he was just beside the others, he quickly pulled into a parallel stop. He had no intention of stopping though - instead he aimed to create the biggest spray of snow as he could from his skis, and it worked.  
"Jake!" growled the two women, as they had to slow down to be able to see their way through. "You do not want to start foul play."  
Jake just laughed as he sped ahead. He wove through the next obstacle - a series of trees that were various sizes. He felt quite confident as he saw no one was following him, and they were already halfway down. Next were some tree stumps and ditches that he completed with ease.  
"Shit," he muttered as he whipped his head around and he saw a very furious Amy and Marie chasing after him.  
He was able to just catch the sign telling him there was a cliff jump, and he was narrowly able to prepare himself. He felt a rush of exhilaration as he fell through the air, bending his knees to absorb the impact from landing. He stumbled slightly on his skis, but was able to recover his balance. He glanced back again to see where his pursuers were.

Everything went black.

 _Everything hurts. No - just his head. And his ankle. And his arm. And his back. Yeah, everything hurts._  
"Jake?" He heard a panicked voice call. _No, two voices. Talking to each other. Marie... and Amy? Ugh, why is everything hurting?_  
"What do we do?"  
"Fuck, it was such a high jump."  
"He's still breathing."  
Jake opened his eyes to his girlfriend and Amy leaning over him. "What" he struggled to get the words out as pain shot throughout his chest. "happened?"  
"You tell us. I'm surprised you didn't make the jump, the earlier ones were much harder," Marie prompted.  
"But I did make the jump," Jake protested, through bouts of pain.  
"That doesn't make any sens-" Amy argued. "Wait. You remember making the first jump, but not the second."  
"If there were two jumps, why wasn't that on the sign?"  
"It was on the sign, Jake. You mustn't have been paying attention."  
"Marie, is this really a time to tell me _I told you so_?"  
"Can you save the squabbles for later? We need to call an ambulance. He might have a concussion, and God only knows what's been broken," Amy said, her natural leadership skills kicking in and leaving no room for arguments. "Do you know how to check for injuries?"  
Marie quickly shook her head.  
"Okay, so you call emergency services, and stop anyone else if they come down."  
Marie instantly complied.  
"Right, now to see how bad your injuries are," Amy said, turning to Jake. "Can you sit up, but stretch out the leg that hurts?"  
With many cries of pain, and _much_ assistance from Amy, Jake was eventually in a sitting position, right leg outstretched. "Oh my God, Amy, it hurts so bad," he cried. "What if I get to the hospital and they have to replace _my whole leg_? And a concussion? Am I going to die?"  
"No," Amy sighed. "Unlike in my dreams, you probably aren't going to die."  
"How could someone be so mean to a wounded soldier? Where did you even become qualified to do first aid?"  
"I was in cadets in middle school." Amy placed her hands on either side of his elbow. "Any pain?"  
"No."  
She repeated the process along both arms, and then checked his back. Jake found that the pain in those areas had mostly subsided.  
"Sorry, this is going to be slightly uncomfortable," Amy apologised.  
Jake raised an eyebrow, as Amy placed her hands around the top of his left thigh, _right next to his groin_. "Never encountered the male body before?" Jake teased, noticing her flustered face.  
Amy quickly pulled her hands back, pretending to make a painful twisting motion around his family jewels. Jake visibly paled, matching Amy's red face.  
"Just tell me where it hurts," Amy grumbled, as she began to feel for any fractures down his left leg. She made it all the way down his right leg, when Jake cried out as she reached his ankle.  
"Just as I suspected. You have a sprained ankle, but I don't think anything's broken," she said calmly, pulling off her jacket. Jake watched as she stuffed some nearby snow and ice in it and wrapped it around his ankle. Luckily, it was a sunny day, so she didn't feel the loss of the layer.  
"So will the doctors have to replace my leg?"  
"No."  
"Will I still get a cast?"  
"Maybe, Jake."  
"Will you sign it for me?"  
"Yes, Jake."  
The medic team arrived in a helicopter then, followed by Rosa, Boyle, Gina, Kylie and Marie's friends.  
"What happened?" they all asked in unison.  
"Jake missed the jump. I checked for injuries, I think he's just sprained his right ankle." Amy told the lead medic, after Boyle and Gina were able to calm down.  
"I'm coming with him!" Boyle declared as he saw the other medics carrying him to the helicopter, making a dash for the vehicle.  
"That crazy. Marie should ride with him," Amy decided. "She's his girlfriend."  
"I'm family, I'm riding too." Gina demanded. "Plus, I've always wanted to ride in a helicopter. But of course, my primary concern is being supportive."  
Boyle's face fell when he realised he didn't have an excuse. "We'll see you later," he sulked. "Look after him."

* * *

"It's okay Boyle, really. The doctor said it was just a Grade 1 sprain, I should be back to normal in 2-4 weeks."  
"Really, Jake? I'm glad you're okay, but are you really going to turn down my signature hot chocolate?"  
"Oh, no, of course not." He sighed and leaned back into the couch.  
"So where's Marie at?" Boyle asked as he put the kettle on.  
"She's filling out some paperwork to help out her father, since the injury happened on their premises. Obviously there's not going be a lawsuit, but they just want to be careful."  
Boyle nodded as he placed the mug of hot chocolate in front of Jake. "Doubling it is the secret," he winked.  
Jake drank it gratefully.

"Hey, you still need to sign my cast," Jake told Amy on the bus that night as she was about to walk past to sit with the others.  
Amy nodded, pulling out her personal sharpie. "I hope you get better soon. Can't have it interfering with our chemistry project."  
"Thank you," Jake said earnestly. "and thank you for... back on the slope. Even after I pulled that nasty stunt. The paramedics told me that if you hadn't thought so quickly on your feet, the situation could have been much worse."  
Amy gave him a genuine smile, momentarily making him forget about his pain. "You're welcome, Jake."

* * *

 **Author's** **Note**

Phew, this was a big chapter. By far my longest chapter, and only two lines of song lyrics.

Wondering if I have any readers who have also read the _Vampire Academy_ books? It is one of my favourite YA series, and if you have read them, you might have noticed some parallels with some scenes in _Frostbite_.

Bad news (or maybe good): Next chapter is going to be a Valentine's Day chapter. I'm going to try and have it out on Valentine's Day (obviously), but I'm a little behind schedule - so it might be a little condensed.  
(Definitely) good news: We're coming towards the end of the second school term - both in the story, and for those who are still in school irl. Stay tuned, because there's a _lot_ of stuff about to happen. I'm trying to have the timeline of this story somewhat line up with real life, to make it easier to follow.


	9. Valentine's Day

**Valentine's** **Day:**

14 February, a day when it is traditional to send a card, often anonymously, to a person one is romantically involved with or attracted to.

 _Jake_ (sorry I know I'm meant to alternate perspectives, but this one had to be from Jake's for reasons that will become very apparent)

"Jacob Peralta, please report to the Principal's office."  
Jake shouldn't be worried, he's been to the principal's office dozens of times when he was back at McGinley's school. It was always with his friends though, usually from a teacher complaining about a prank they'd played. McGinley would often give them detention, although half of the time he'd forget to organise a supervisor. This time, however, he wasn't sure what to expect. His leg began to shake uncontrollably and he fiddled with the collar on his shirt. _He'd just tell Holt that he appreciated the offer to help, but that it was unnecessary. He didn't need a mentor, and he certainly didn't need someone like Holt watching his every move. He was doing perfectly fine on his own. Plus, this was their free period and he wanted to spend it with his friends, not with the principal.  
_ "The principal is ready to see you," called his assistant.  
Jake entered the room, analysing it quickly. He wasn't surprised, it was impeccably organised, with very few personal trinkets. A picture of him and his husband in the corner.  
"Take a seat, Jacob." Holt said, gesturing to one of the two lounge chairs.  
"I'd prefer to stand, thanks. I'm sure this will be quick."  
"Sit down," Holt said more forcefully.  
Jake sighed and chose the seat to the right.  
"Mr Jeffords told me about a bet you have going on with Amy Santiago."  
"Um, yes, that's correct."  
"You do realise that Amy Santiago is our top student."  
"Yes."  
"Whilst your Chemistry grades are on par with hers, you're only slightly above average in your other subjects, and well below average in maths."  
"Yes."  
"So what compelled you to make a bet against her."  
"I don't need to justify myself to you," Jake said defiantly, leaning forward to get out of his chair.  
" _Sit down,_ Peralta." Holt warned. Jake sighed and sat back down. "You're doing well in Chemistry. Mr Stentley mentioned the project you two are working on, and it's very impressive. Possibly the most interesting project we've seen during the history of this school. However, you lack the determination to concentrate. Have you ever tried the Spider Technique?"  
"Look, sir, with all due respect, I know you think you can help. But I've already tried all that. Some people are just better at different things. I'm just naturally bad with numbers, and just find maths incredibly _boring._ It's not our fault that Amy is basically perfect."  
"Nobody is perfect," Holt interjected. "That's absurd. She has a lot of talent, yes, but she also works very hard. If you don't want my help, that's fine. However, can I have yours for a minute then?" Holt asked, pulling out an object from the drawer in his desk. "Do you know what this object is?"  
"No," _Did Holt seriously take him out of his classes just to help him do some random chores?_  
"The Rubik's Cube was invented by Hungarian Ernő Rubik in 1974. Each face consists of 9 squares, with each face being a different colour. The surfaces are scrambled -" Holt took a moment to demonstrate. "with the objective of returning the squares so that each face is all the same colour. I want you to see if you can solve it."  
Jake gingerly took the cube. "If I solve it, that means I can concentrate when I want to though. So if I solve it, will you leave me alone?"  
"The fastest time to solve a Rubik's cube is in under 5 seconds. I'll give you the rest of this period, and if you can solve it, then yes, I will cancel these sessions. However, if you fail, you must agree to stop complaining and complete the activities that I set for you in a timely manner."  
"Okay."  
 _How hard could it be? He just needed to move this square to there - and that one to there._  
"Ugh!" Jake exclaimed, after 10 minutes. "This is impossible."  
Holt plucked the cube from Jake's hands, glanced at it from a few different angles, and set to work. Two minutes later, he placed the solved cube on the desk in front of Jake. "Try again. Any configuration of the cube can be solved in less than 20 moves."  
 _Maybe if I try a different strategy_ , Jake thought. _If I'm careful to only change this_ row. _Okay, maybe if I only move the yellow squares. If I keep this square here, and just move this row and this column -. Ugh, why isn't this working?  
_ "Keep trying," Holt instructed.  
Jake sighed for the fortieth time that morning. _Okay, one last try._ He studied the cube again - and, after contemplating for what seemed like an eternity, gasped.  
"I got it!"  
Holt looked up at his student, and then to the cube. "Correction: You got one side. Specifically, the green side." Jake's face fell with a look of dejection and Holt added, "It's a good start, though." He shook his head as Jake handed him back the cube. He glanced at the clock, which showed that their session was up. "You can keep it. Work on it over the holidays."  
Jake nodded. He might not admit it yet, but it had been kind of fun.  
"You have a Chemistry quiz today, right?" Holt asked, just as Jake opened the door to let himself out.  
"Yes."  
"Good."  
"Aren't you supposed to wish me 'good luck'?"  
"If you're sufficiently prepared, you won't need luck."

* * *

 _Amy_

Jake pocketed the cube and headed over to his second class of the day - Drama. As the class settled down, Terry began to explain the purpose of their lesson: To practice story telling techniques. Hitchcock and Scully were in the middle of reading a scene when a group of Cupids ran into the room. Their job was to deliver Valentine's Day cards to various couples in the room who had requested them.  
"Terry loves love," Terry swooned, signalling for the class to take a break.  
"Oh, Amy, you shouldn't have," Jake jested, as a Cupid began to approach him with a card. "I just don't feel that way about you. I'm sorry."  
"What?" Amy squealed. "I didn't send you anything! Isn't that your girlfriend's job?"  
"Oh, right." Jake said sheepishly. Right on cue, Marie walked in. "Ah yes, of course. My wonderful girlfriend gave me this card. That's what girlfriends and boyfriends do."  
Jake walked over to give Marie a kiss, and Amy's confusion grew as the Cupid handed her a card. _Who on earth would be giving her a Valentine's card?_ _The only date she'd been on recently was with Gabe - and they hadn't been in contact since, plus, he didn't even go to their school._  
"I bet she sent that card to herself." Gina remarked.  
"I did not," Amy replied defensively.  
"Who's it from?" Rosa asked, reaching for the card.  
Amy searched the card again. "It doesn't say," she sighed. "Maybe he's just nervous and forgot?"  
"Well I got 20 Valentines, because I'm the Paris of people." Gina said as she fanned out the cards in front of her. "And you know what they say about the City of Love. Damn, it's going to be so much fun turning 15 of them down."  
"But that still leaves 5," Amy protested, pointing out the obvious.  
"Oh you have so much to learn," Gina said patronisingly.  
"Valentine's is dumb anyway," Rosa huffed.  
"Yeah, it is." Amy agreed, tossing the flimsy folded paper into the bin. The card was generic anyway. If her secret admirer wanted her affections, they could at least make it a bit personal.  
Terry called back the class and shooed the Cupids away. While he supported love, some of the students were getting far too carried away with their PDA.

Amy was ready to ace this test, as usual. _There are certain factors that affect the rate of reaction. Temperature, concentration, surface area, pressure, mixing and_ _cata-_  
"Morning, partner," Jake said with far too much energy, interrupting Amy's thoughts. "Hope you're ready to lose."  
Amy rolled her eyes. "Did you even bring your own pen this time?"  
"Actually, I brought two. You should focus more on keeping your notes away. Don't want anyone to think you're cheating."  
"I would never," Amy said with a certain conviction, sliding her binder into her bag. "It's called studying. You should try it some time."  
"Silence," CJ ordered. "Let's begin the test."  
Jake and Amy gave a final glance at each other before their eyes dropped to their papers. Amy finished first of course, but she had to check her answers. _If the temperature increases,_ Amy reasoned, _then the molecules have more energy, and thus more collisions can occur. If the pressure decreases, then there is more distance between molecules, so there would be fewer collisions._  
"Time's up. Swap your pages for marking."  
Amy traded her quiz with Jake's and began to peruse it. They seemed to have similar answers. It was bittersweet as she marked each answer as correct with red pen; knowing that Jake would also be marking her answers with a tick.  
"Ha, I'm catching up, Santiago."  
 _How did Jake have so much energy? Did he ever even sleep?_ "There's still two more quizzes, Peralta." _Ugh, she had to stop putting him on a last name basis just because he did it to_ her. "Let me remind you, you're yet to actually surpass any of my marks yet."  
"All in due time," Jake vowed.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry it's a bit late. This is kind of another fill in chapter but I thought it would be good to have something for Valentine's Day. I might flesh it out later, over time. Actually the next chapter will still have events occurring on the same day and is filled with ideas that I have planned for a while now. I have many other ideas that I plan to incorporate as well. If you have any suggestions you'd be willing to share, please let me know! I'm going to take my time on the next few chapters - so I'm not sure how long they'll take, but I promise you, they'll be worth the wait.


	10. Zugzwang

**Author's Note**

This chapter was scheduled to be posted tomorrow (start of the month) but NBC just announced that WE ARE GETTING A SEASON 7 which is the best news ever so I thought I may as well update while we're on this high.

The real reason for including an author's note in this chapter is that I want to apply a trigger warning (TW). I want to warn you that there is some sexual harassment and physical abuse in this chapter, although there is no sexual activity. Like the last chapter, I have applied the following warnings ****TW: START**** and ****TW: STOP**** to signify the start and end of the scene. The scene is fine to skip and is a very minor part of the overall storyline, in fact, I have only planned one to two minor references in future chapters.

* * *

 **Zugzwang** **:**

A situation in which the obligation to make a move in one's turn is a serious, often decisive, disadvantage.

"Thanks for getting us an invite," Amy said, sitting at the makeshift bar at the kitchen counter in Marie's house. It was her first school party. Sure, Kylie had taken her out to a few small gatherings, but it was nothing like this experience. Underage kids reminding themselves what it felt like to be young: drinking games, doing drugs, losing their virginities. A bonfire outside and even fireworks. Things that surely would have gotten them all arrested if Marie's estate hadn't had their own police. She looked over to where Gina was letting loose on the dance floor, while Rosa was challenging men twice her size to arm wrestles and pocketing the cash. "They look like they're having a really good time."  
"No problem," Jake shrugged. He turned down a canapé that a nearby waiter offered him. "It's good to be able to relax after handing most of our assignments in. You've just got your music review and our chemistry project left, right?" He paused as she nodded in reply. "Should be a breeze for you. Let me get us some drinks so we can celebrate," he offered. Before Amy could object, he slid out from his chair. He returned a minute later with two glasses filled with some kind of punch and placed one in front of Amy. She eyed the beverage suspiciously.  
"Don't worry," Jake grinned. "It's non-alcoholic." He took a swig of his own glass to demonstrate.  
Amy nodded and lifted her own glass towards him. "To finishing another semester. Cheers."  
"Cheers," he echoed. They fell into a comfortable silence, content to just survey the room. Jake was the first to speak again. "I've been meaning to ask you something," Jake said, face dead-panned.  
Amy steeled herself for a difficult question, but instead she got, "How much fun was working with me?"  
 _He really couldn't deal with silence, could he?_ She knew he expected her to say something like _awful, I'd never do it again,_ or even, _I'd rather fail than work with you again_. (Of course, Amy would never joke about that). "Working with you wasn't half bad," Amy admitted. "You were on time, knew the content, communicated effectively to schedule times to meet outside of class-"  
"Santiago, did you seriously memorise the evaluation rubric?" Jake interrupted. "Also, have you already written my evaluation? Oh my God I can't believe _Amy Santiago_ thinks so highly of me. Maybe I can write it on my resume."  
"I haven't submitted it yet; I still have plenty of time to change it," Amy warned. _To be honest, she was pretty surprised that he even had a resume. She couldn't see him being employed - like, ever._  
"You can't!" Jake gasped dramatically. "I take it back. The project is too awesome to be tarnished by a bad evaluation mark."  
Amy's eyes twinkled as she spotted the opportunity to turn the tables. "Are you saying you genuinely enjoyed the project I chose?"  
The playfulness disappeared from Jake's face for a moment. "I thought I already made that clear. You know, I don't just put in extra hours for any random project."  
Amy scoffed. "I don't think you put in extra hours for anything."  
"That's not true," Jake fired back, fumbling for an example. "There was the time I..." He glanced around the room. "Oh look, there's Marie. I bet she's looking for me."  
Amy followed his gaze, surprised to see that he actually wasn't lying just to get out of the situation. She'd actually been wondering where Marie was, who had been surprisingly absent for a hostess. She got her answer a few moments later. Jake plastered a look of relief on his face as Marie arrived.  
"I need to borrow Jake. We haven't exactly celebrated Valentine's Day yet..." Marie pouted. "I'd like to make it up to him, if you know what I mean." She winked suggestively.  
Amy cringed and even Jake began to turn red. She really didn't need to hear about anyone's sex life; let alone Jake's. She took a few moments to compose herself. "Sure, we're finished here. He's all yours."  
Surprisingly, Jake was the one to object. "Can I just have a sec? I need to, uh, discuss that transition Amy and I applied to the last slide on our PowerPoint. I'll be up in your room soon."  
"Of course, but don't be too long. I've got candles burning up there, and I'd rather not lose my room tonight." With those parting words, Marie turned and made her way to the stairs, stopping briefly to greet the occasional friend.  
"Oh my god." Jake let out a deep breath once Marie was out of earshot. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but I've actually never had sex before. What if I'm not ready? What if I'm not good enough?"  
Amy looked to the ceiling, praying to be anywhere else. _Why was he asking her?_ She was surprised that he was even a virgin, considering all the sex tape jokes he constantly made. When she realised she really was stuck in this situation, she met his eyes. "Jake, I don't think I'm the right person to ask. I'm sure it'll be fine though. I don't think you can really do sex wrong, you'll know if you're ready, and if you're not, I'm sure Marie'll understand." She awkwardly moved her hand to scratch her right arm.  
"Right. Sorry. I've been expecting this for a while anyway. I'm sure we'll have a great time. It's Valentine's Day." He downed the rest of his drink and stood up, wishing he could've opted for the alcoholic version. "Time to get lai-idddd!"  
Amy shuffled in her seat again. "Umm, just don't stay up too late, okay? We need to be well rested for our presentation tomorrow."  
"Who are you, my mother?" Jake joked, but it landed a little too close to home for Amy.  
"I just don't want all our hard work to go to waste," Amy glowered. "If that's alright with you." _God, she'd been trying to reassure him, and like always, he just took the opportunity to be a butt head._  
Jake placed his hands up in a submissive gesture. "I'll be there, Santiago. That's a Peralta Guarantee."  
Amy felt her shoulders relax, which she hadn't noticed had been tense. "Okay. See you tomorrow."  
Jake spared her one more look before running up the stairs like a school child - well, a _kindergarten_ school child.

 ****TW: START****

Amy was able to savour the silence for only a moment before she had another visitor.  
"When are you and Jakey going to get together," Boyle whined, having observed Jake following Marie up the stairs.  
"Alright, time for me to leave." Amy pushed her chair out firmly. She really did not have the energy to deal with both Jake and Boyle in one night. "I need to go to the bathroom."  
Amy tried to remember where Marie had described the location of the toilets, but the corridor was so long - surely she was going the wrong way? She'd been walking in the same direction for at least 5 minutes. She was tempted to just turn back around and try to hold on until she got home when she finally reached the French doors. She pulled the doors open and sat down on the toilet in relief.  
She washed and dried her hands on the towels embroidered with the Rossi logo after she was done. She was reaching for the door handle when she felt resistance from the other side.  
"Oh dear, look what my trap caught. A fresh little fox," the Vulture sneered as he let himself into the room.  
Amy felt herself visibly pale. She could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Let me out," she stated firmly, straightening herself up and trying to make herself look taller. _What had that power pose speaker said?_  
"Oh no, you and I are going to have some fun. Didn't you get my message earlier, sweetheart?"  
A wave of nausea passed over her. _So that's who had sent the card._ "Let me out," she repeated, her assertiveness masking the fear she felt.  
"No." He gripped her shoulder with his right hand, nails digging in, as the other reached to lock the door.  
Amy began to panic. For a woman, she wasn't particularly short, but Pembroke was above average height himself. So were her brothers though, and she'd spent plenty of time wrestling them in various scenarios. _She wasn't going down without a fight._ She grabbed the closest object - a magnifying mirror - and swung as hard as she could at his face. The glass grazed his cheek, leaving a dark red mark. In his drunken stupor, he tried to duck, which was anticipated by Amy. She met his jaw with her fist.  
"You little bitch!" He scowled as he rubbed his face.  
Amy took the opportunity to dodge past him and race for the door. The bathroom was so small though, she had barely made it a step before he grabbed a fistful of her hair. _Why was this room so small. Oh my god, she couldn't breathe - it was too hot and she was choking and-_  
"I told you, you're not leaving until I say you can."  
Amy froze, partially to prevent any more tugging on her hair but also to think about her next move. With the brief pause in their fight, she could faintly hear voices outside. _Gina and Rosa?  
_ "Don't you dare say anything," Pembroke snarled under his breath, releasing his grip on her hair to cover her mouth instead.  
Amy fixed him with a steely gaze and bit down as hard as she could to get him to release his grip. "HELP!" she yelled.  
"What the hell?" Gina and Rosa stared at each other before busting the door open. The rest was a blur. All Amy knew was that one moment, Pembroke had her pressed firmly against the wall, covering her mouth with his non-injured hand, and the next, she had her head buried in Rosa's shoulder. It was then that the dam broke, tears staining Rosa's leather jacket. God, Amy was just so tired and wanted nothing more to go home. Her whole body trembled against Rosa, who was shaking with anger herself. It had only taken Rosa and Gina a second to assess the situation.  
"Get out of here," Rosa raged. Her eyes flashed threateningly and her spare Gil Hibben Rambo III knife was pointed at his throat. "Or so help me God."  
Pembroke was wise enough to heed her warning and he stumbled out, quickly retreating down the hall.  
Rosa dropped the knife instantly and wrapped Amy in a leather cocoon, stroking her hair. "It's gonna be alright. We've got your back."  
Amy briefly looked up, long enough for Gina to offer her some tissues after she'd cleaned up the broken mirror glass. She wiped some blood off her shoulder - the Vulture's or hers, she wasn't sure - they'd both landed some pretty deep scratches on each other.  
"Is it okay if I take a shower?" Amy mumbled.  
"You do whatever you need to do, hun." Gina affirmed. "I've got a spare dress somewhere in this bag."  
Amy was just finishing up her shower and changing into Gina's spare dress - _where did she get all this stuff?_ \- when Gina's phone began to ring. She stepped outside to take the phone call and returned a minute later.  
"I'm so sorry, I've got a call from Jake - it's urgent, he needs me to meet him at his house."  
"Go. I'll be alright. Thank you for the dress."  
Had Amy not just been through a traumatic ordeal, she might have thought it was odd that Jake had called Gina when he was supposed to be in the bedroom upstairs losing his virginity. But Amy was in no state of mind to put the pieces together, so she thought nothing of it further as Rosa drove her home and made sure she was sleeping soundly in bed.

Rosa glanced at the clock in the lab and then at Amy. She'd been escorting the other girl to her classes all day, although Amy had been coping surprisingly well. "Are you _sure_ Jake's coming?" Rosa whispered. "If you want, we can go to the office and report what happened last night - Holt will understand, and will probably give you an extension on your presentation."  
"No, he'll be here. He promised." It was the fifth or sixth time she'd repeated those words, but this time she felt her voice wavering. "Plus," she added. "I still don't think it's worth reporting. I just want to forget about it."  
Rosa nodded in understanding. Amy shot her a grateful look. She was lucky to have such a supportive friend.

 ****TW: STOP****

Amy took a deep breath and read through her script one last time. Fortunately she was already well-rehearsed, because she wasn't able to focus on the words. It was their fourth period of the school day, with 5 minutes before their presentation was scheduled to begin, and neither Jake - nor Marie, as a matter of fact - been seen. She'd even asked Boyle, but he'd been clueless. _Where the hell was Jake? He'd promised her he'd be here - or whatever a Peralta Guarantee was. Thank God she'd practised his parts even though he'd ridiculed her for doing so. Maybe the whole thing was just an elaborate prank on his part. Pretending to care about their assignment, putting in the extra hours, offering to divide their workload equally. All just to teach her the lesson that he could mess with anyone, even a frigid bitch like her. The bet was probably just some ploy as well. She shouldn't have believed him when she said he wasn't going to stay up late. He was a teenage boy, for crying out loud - they were probably still going at it. Maybe Marie was in on the prank as well. Ugh, what an idiot Amy was. They were probably in bed laughing at her._

"Alright Amy, you're up." CJ announced. There were murmurs amongst the classroom about the whereabouts of her partner.  
 _"She probably just_ _took over the whole project."  
"Lucky bastard, I bet he didn't even have to do a single thing."  
 _"Nah, she's just a control freak."  
_ "Wait, wasn't he getting laid though last night?"_  
 _ _"I did see Marie sneaking some candles into her bedroom."  
_ "Come to think about it, Marie hasn't been in today either..."  
_

Amy forced herself to slow down her breathing as she put up the PowerPoint. _This presentation was going to be perfect - she'd practiced it over a hundred times._ _Though, most of those times had been with Jake_ \- _forget about him._ She looked to Rosa for reassurance and nodded at CJ to start the timer. "Superhydrophobic coatings, with the ability to repel water, are of extreme interest within many disciplines..." she began.

* * *

 **Author's Note  
** Sorry, this chapter was a real roller coaster, but I'm a sucker for angst, and honestly, it's only going to get worse (not really sorry). Consider this your warning, or else in the words of Amy & Terry, "diaper up".

The next chapter is pretty much a complement to this chapter but in Jake's perspective (in line with my pattern for previous chapters). I'm planning to update around twice a month, but I have a lot on my plate at the moment, so I can't make any guarantees.


End file.
